Petaurista

"Giant flying squirrel" redirects here. For others known by that name, see Biswamoyopterus.

Petaurista is a genus of rodent in the family Sciuridae.^[1] They are large to very large flying squirrels found in forests and other wooded habitats in southern and eastern Asia.^[2]

Petaurista
Bhutan giant flying squirrel (Petaurista nobilis)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Tribe:	Pteromyini
Genus:	Petaurista Link, 1795
Type species
Sciurus petaurista Pallas, 1766

Like other flying squirrels, they are mostly nocturnal and able to glide (not actually fly like a bat) long distances between trees by spreading out their patagium, skin between their limbs. They feed primarily on plant material, but will also take small animals such as insects.^[2]

Taxonomy

Gliding Indian giant flying squirrel (P. philippensis)

The species level taxonomy is very complex and not fully resolved.^[3] In 2005, Mammal Species of the World recognised eight species,^[4] but later studies have found that some of these were highly polyphyletic,^[5][6][7][8] and recent authorities have often recognised some of the most divergent "subspecies" as valid species.^[2][3][9] Additionally, three new species were described from northeastern India in 2007–2013, although their validity needs to be confirmed.^[10]

Living species

Eight species were recognised in Mammal Species of the World in 2005:^[4]

• Red and white giant flying squirrel, Petaurista alborufus Milne-Edwards, 1870
• Spotted giant flying squirrel, Petaurista elegans Müller, 1840
• Japanese giant flying squirrel, Petaurista leucogenys Temminck, 1827
• Hodgson's giant flying squirrel, Petaurista magnificus Hodgson, 1836
• Bhutan giant flying squirrel, Petaurista nobilis Gray, 1842
• Red giant flying squirrel, Petaurista petaurista Pallas, 1766
• Indian giant flying squirrel, Petaurista philippensis Elliot, 1839
• Chinese giant flying squirrel, Petaurista xanthotis Milne-Edwards, 1872

Seven additional species now often recognised, but traditionally considered subspecies:^[3][8]

• White-bellied giant flying squirrel, Petaurista albiventer Gray, 1834
• Grey-headed giant flying squirrel, Petaurista caniceps Gray, 1842
• Formosan giant flying squirrel, Petaurista grandis Swinhoe, 1863
• Hainan giant flying squirrel, Petaurista hainana G. Allen, 1925
• Taiwan giant flying squirrel, Petaurista lena Thomas, 1907
• Spotted giant flying squirrel, Petaurista marica Thomas, 1912
• Chindwin giant flying squirrel, Petaurista sybilla Thomas and Wroughton, 1916

Three new species that were described by Anwaruddin Choudhury from Arunachal Pradesh in 2007–2013:^[11][12][13]

• Mechuka giant flying squirrel, Petaurista mechukaensis Choudhury, 2007
• Mishmi giant flying squirrel, Petaurista mishmiensis Choudhury, 2009
• Mebo giant flying squirrel, Petaurista siangensis Choudhury, 2013

Extinct species

In addition to the living species, there are a few extinct species that only are known from fossil remains from the Mid and Late Pleistocene in China, the Russian Far East and Germany:^[3][14]

• †Petaurista brachyodus Young, 1934
• †Petaurista helleri Dehm, 1962
• †Petaurista tetyukhensis Tiunov & Gimranov, 2019