Yunnan Giant Flying Squirrel

Description: A large flying squirrel with a big head and a long tail. The upper parts of its body are a rich, dark glossy maroon-chestnut, with the head and back in some individuals finely speckled with white, which is most marked in the young. In the adult, the upper surface of the gliding membrane is the same colour as the back, and the hairs are uniformly coloured.

The paws and the margins of the limbs are rich black in colour. The under parts of the animal are yellowish-white, tending in some to a chestnut line along the middle of the chest and belly, and to a darker tint of the same colour on the margin of the gliding membrane. The fur of the upper parts of the body and the tail is long, soft and silky, while that of the under surface is more woolly in texture. The ears are large and rounded, and clad with very short hairs. Cheek-bristles are present.

Distribution: Mainly in China, it occurs in Yunnan and Guangxi Provinces and in Tibet (= Xizang). The distribution also extends into northern Laos, northern Vietnam and northern Burma. The species is found in mixed forest dominated by oaks between 1800–4270 metres.

Reproduction: Nothing is known.

Diet: Nothing is known.

Ecology: Little is known except that it is nocturnal and occurs in hillside forests. In the Adung Valley in northern Burma, a specimen was collected at 2580 metres.

Status: Not Evaluated.