The world’s gliding mammals are an extraordinary group of animals that have the ability to glide from tree to tree with seemingly effortless grace. There are more than 60 species of gliding mammals including the flying squirrels from Europe and North America, the scaly-tailed flying squirrels from central Africa and the gliding possums of Australia and New Guinea.
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae, Pteromyini
Description: The upper parts of this species are blackish-brown, varied with reddish-brown. The hairs are long, dark blackish, with red tips. The outside of its legs are redder and reddish-yellow beneath. Its head is iron-grey in colouration with longer, black interspersed hairs; its throat is white and its chin black.
There is a small, red crescent-shaped spot on the upper edge of each eye and bright-red roundish spots near the base of its ears.
Distribution: Occurs through the Himalayas from Nepal, Sikkim (India), Bhutan and south-eastern Tibet (= Xizang, China) at altitudes of
It occupies oak and rhododendron forests from
Reproduction: Little is known of its breeding habits. It is thought the female gives birth to only a single young, although there are records of twins.
Diet: Rhododendron leaves, buds and fir cones.
Ecology: Nests in the hollows of oak trees or builds a nest of ferns in tall rhododendron and fir trees.
Status: Not Evaluated.
Note: This species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel, however it differs by not having any dorsal spots.
| HB | 300–370 mm |
| TL | 360–400 mm |
| HF | 61–67 mm |
| M | 800–1500 g |
Petaurista caniceps caniceps — Nepal, Bhutan, southeastern Tibet and Sikkim, northern West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India.
Petaurista caniceps clarkei — Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou Provinces, China, and northern Burma.
Petaurista caniceps gorkhali — Gorka region in central Nepal and adjacent southern Tibet (=Xizang).
Petaurista caniceps sybilla — Northern Burma mountains and adjacent western Yunnan and southern Sichuan and Guizhou Provinces, China.
There are also two undescribed forms that occur in Guangxi and Hunan; and Hubei, Shaanxi and Gansu respectively.
Petaurista albiventer
Petaurista alborufus
Petaurista elegans
Petaurista hainana
Philippine Colugo
Cynocephalus volans
Southern Flying Squirrel
Glaucomys volans
Travancore Flying Squirrel
Petinomys fuscocapillus
Vordermann’s Flying Squirrel
Petinomys vordermanni