Travancore flying squirrel

Travancore flying squirrel
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Genus:	Petinomys
Species:	P. fuscocapillus
Binomial name
Petinomys fuscocapillus (Jerdon, 1847)
Synonyms
Sciuropterus layardi Kelaart, 1850 Sciuropterus fuscocapillus Jerdon, 1847

Travancore flying squirrel (Petinomys fuscocapillus) is a flying squirrel found in Sri Lanka and the Western Ghats of South India. Travancore flying squirrels were thought to be extinct but were rediscovered in 1989 after a gap of 100 years in Kerala. It was rediscovered in Sri Lanka after 78 years. The animals were reported only in wet and intermediate zones of the island, and had a few sightings in the Sinharaja Forest Reserve.

Description

The head and body length is 32 cm, and the tail is 25–29 cm. Dorsally, this species is reddish brown, with ruddy-tinged grayish underparts. The tail is feather-shaped and reddish brown with a blackish undersurface. Their vibrissae are black. Like other members of this genus, the fur is soft, long and sheen. ^{[citation needed]}

Subspecies

There are 2 subspecies:

• Petinomys fuscocapillus fuscocapillus (Jerdon, 1847) - Western Ghats of Peninsular India
• Petinomys fuscocapillus layardi (Kelaart, 1850) - Sri Lanka.

Ecology

A rare, nocturnal mammal with a largely frugivorous diet, they are known to eat bark, shoots, and leaves, and sometimes insects.^[2]

References

• Ananthakrishnan G. (3/12/2006) Squirrels in focus, the Hindu, retrieved 6/13/2007 Two flying squirrel species
• http://www.researchgate.net/publication/237099131_The_small_flying_squirrel_(Petinomys_fuscocapillus)_observed_after_78_years_in_Sri_Lanka
• http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/mmonline.dll/portal/localContentView.do?tabId=16&programId=1079897624&contentId=13866795&district=Cochin&BV_ID=@@@

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Extant species of family Sciuridae (subfamily Sciurinae, Pteromyini (Flying squirrels) tribe)

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Rodentia
• Suborder: Sciuromorpha

Aeretes

• Groove-toothed flying squirrel (Aeretes melanopterus)

Aeromys
(Large black flying squirrels)

• Black flying squirrel (Aeromys tephromelas)
• Thomas's flying squirrel (Aeromys thomasi)

Belomys

• Hairy-footed flying squirrel (Belomys pearsonii)

Biswamoyopterus

• Namdapha flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi)
• Mount Gaoligong flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus gaoligongensis)
• Laotian giant flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus laoensis)

Eoglaucomys

• Kashmir flying squirrel (Eoglaucomys fimbriatus)

Eupetaurus

• Western woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus)
• Yunnan woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus nivamons)
• Tibetan woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus tibetensis)

Glaucomys
(New World flying squirrels)

• Humboldt's flying squirrel (Glaucomys oregonensis)
• Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)
• Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans)

Hylopetes

• Particolored flying squirrel (Hylopetes alboniger)
• Bartel's flying squirrel (Hylopetes bartelsi)
• Hainan flying squirrel (Hylopetes electilis)
• Palawan flying squirrel (Hylopetes nigripes)
• Indochinese flying squirrel (Hylopetes phayrei)
• Jentink's flying squirrel (Hylopetes platyurus)
• Arrow flying squirrel (Hylopetes sagitta)
• Sipora flying squirrel (Hylopetes sipora)
• Red-cheeked flying squirrel (Hylopetes spadiceus)
• Sumatran flying squirrel (Hylopetes winstoni)

Iomys

• Javanese flying squirrel (Iomys horsfieldi)
• Mentawi flying squirrel (Iomys sipora)

Petaurillus
(Pygmy flying squirrels)

• Lesser pygmy flying squirrel (Petaurillus emiliae)
• Hose's pygmy flying squirrel (Petaurillus hosei)
• Selangor pygmy flying squirrel (Petaurillus kinlochii)

Petaurista

• Red and white giant flying squirrel (Petaurista alborufus)
• Spotted giant flying squirrel (Petaurista elegans)
• Japanese giant flying squirrel (Petaurista leucogenys)
• Hodgson's giant flying squirrel (Petaurista magnificus)
• Mechuka giant flying squirrel (Petaurista mechukaensis)
• Mishmi giant flying squirrel (Petaurista mishmiensis)
• Bhutan giant flying squirrel (Petaurista nobilis)
• Red giant flying squirrel (Petaurista petaurista)
• Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis)
• Mebo giant flying squirrel (Petaurista siangensis)
• Chinese giant flying squirrel (Petaurista xanthotis)

Petinomys

• Basilan flying squirrel (Petinomys crinitus)
• Travancore flying squirrel (Petinomys fuscocapillus)
• Whiskered flying squirrel (Petinomys genibarbis)
• Hagen's flying squirrel (Petinomys hageni)
• Siberut flying squirrel (Petinomys lugens)
• Mindanao flying squirrel (Petinomys mindanensis)
• Arrow flying squirrel (Petinomys sagitta)
• Temminck's flying squirrel (Petinomys setosus)
• Vordermann's flying squirrel (Petinomys vordermanni)

Pteromys
(Old World flying squirrels)

• Japanese dwarf flying squirrel (Pteromys momonga)
• Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans)

Pteromyscus

• Smoky flying squirrel (Pteromyscus pulverulentus)

Trogopterus

• Complex-toothed flying squirrel (Trogopterus xanthipes)

Category

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