Old World flying squirrel
Genus of rodents
Old World flying squirrels Temporal range: Late Pliocene – Recent | |
---|---|
Japanese dwarf flying squirrel, (Pteromys momonga) | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Sciuridae |
Tribe: | Pteromyini |
Genus: | Pteromys G. Cuvier, 1800 |
Type species | |
Sciurus volans | |
Species | |
Pteromys volans |
Commonly referred to as the Old World flying squirrels, the genus Pteromys is distributed across temperate Eurasia, the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Although there are a host of flying squirrel genera in Asia (particularly southern Asia), Pteromys is the only one present in Europe.
Characteristics
These large-eyed animals are nocturnal and use a membrane stretching from their wrists to ankles in order to glide from tree to tree. They can glide up to 443 feet (135 m) and have a long flat tail. They feed on nuts, seeds, fruit, buds, bark, and insects.
Species
There are two species in this genus:
- Pteromys momonga – Japanese dwarf flying squirrel – Found in Japan (Honshu and Kyushu).
- Pteromys volans – Siberian flying squirrel – Found in northern Europe (mainly Russia and Finland, some isolated populations in the Baltics) and northern Asia from Siberia to Hokkaido
References
- Nowak, Ronald M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1936 pp. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
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- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Rodentia
- Suborder: Sciuromorpha
- Groove-toothed flying squirrel (Aeretes melanopterus)
(Large black flying squirrels)
- Black flying squirrel (Aeromys tephromelas)
- Thomas's flying squirrel (Aeromys thomasi)
- Hairy-footed flying squirrel (Belomys pearsonii)
- Namdapha flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi)
- Mount Gaoligong flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus gaoligongensis)
- Laotian giant flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus laoensis)
- Kashmir flying squirrel (Eoglaucomys fimbriatus)
- Western woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus)
- Yunnan woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus nivamons)
- Tibetan woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus tibetensis)
(New World flying squirrels)
- Humboldt's flying squirrel (Glaucomys oregonensis)
- Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)
- Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
- 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)
- Javanese flying squirrel (Iomys horsfieldi)
- Mentawi flying squirrel (Iomys sipora)
(Pygmy flying squirrels)
- Lesser pygmy flying squirrel (Petaurillus emiliae)
- Hose's pygmy flying squirrel (Petaurillus hosei)
- Selangor pygmy flying squirrel (Petaurillus kinlochii)
- 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)
- 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)
(Old World flying squirrels)
- Japanese dwarf flying squirrel (Pteromys momonga)
- Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans)
- Smoky flying squirrel (Pteromyscus pulverulentus)
- Complex-toothed flying squirrel (Trogopterus xanthipes)
Category