The flying mice, also known as the pygmy scaly-tails, pygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrels, or pygmy anomalures are not true mice, not true squirrels, and are not capable of true flight. These unusual rodents are essentially miniaturized versions of anomalures and are part of the same sub-Saharan African radiation of gliding mammal.
Anomaluromorpha is a clade that unites the anomalures, springhares, and zenkerella. It has alternately been designated as either a suborder or infraorder. Most recently, Carleton & Musser 2005 recognized it as one of five suborders of rodents.
Anomalurus is the largest genus in the rodent family Anomaluridae, with four species. It is the only genus in the subfamily Anomalurinae.
Vandeleuria is a small genus of rodent from Asia with only three species. It is the only member of the tribe Vandeleurini. Species in this genus are known as the long-tailed climbing mice.
The toros or brush-tailed rats, genus Isothrix, are a group of spiny rats found in tropical South America, particularly in the Amazon Basin.
Beecroft's flying squirrel or Beecroft's scaly-tailed squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Anomaluridae. Some authorities consider it to be monotypic within the genus Anomalurops. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat destruction but is a common species with a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Pel's flying squirrel or Pel's scaly-tailed squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Anomaluridae. It is found in Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Ghana, where it lives in lowland tropical rainforests. It is named after Hendrik Pel.
The dwarf scaly-tailed squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Anomaluridae. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Uganda. The species is nocturnal and arboreal and lives in subtropical or tropical lowland rainforest. Membranes attached to its limbs and tail enable it to glide between trees. This squirrel is currently not considered to be threatened by habitat destruction; "much of the habitat within parts of the known range of this species is relatively intact, and the species is unlikely to be experiencing any significant declines."
The pygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Anomaluridae. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
Mesocapromys is a genus of rodent in the subfamily Capromyinae. The genus is restricted to Cuba and associated islands.
The red and white giant flying squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is a very large, dark rufous-red, buff and white flying squirrel found in forests at altitudes of 800–3,500 m (2,600–11,500 ft) in mainland China and 1,200–3,750 m (3,940–12,300 ft) in Taiwan, although the population of the latter island is distinctive and likely better regarded as a separate species, the Taiwan giant flying squirrel. Additionally, the red and white giant flying squirrel possibly ranges into northeastern South Asia and far northern Mainland Southeast Asia. This squirrel has a wide range and is relatively common, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as being of "least concern".
The Cameroon scaly-tail, also referred to as the Cameroon anomalure, flightless anomalure or flightless scaly-tail, is a rodent species endemic to West Central Africa. The scientific literature has never reported observations of live individuals. The taxonomic classification of the species has been subject to recent revision.
Lord Derby's scaly-tailed squirrel is an anomalurid rodent native to Africa. It was named after Edward Smith-Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby.
Zenkerella is a genus of rodent, the only member of the family Zenkerellidae. It was formerly classified in Anomaluridae until phylogenetic studies made its distinctiveness clear. While the Anomalurus of the family Anomaluridae has gliding membranes between its forelimb and hindlimb, the Zenkerella has no such adaptation. It is estimated from fossil records that this divergence might have occurred in the middle of the Eocene.
Kabirmys qarunensis is an extinct species of anomaluroid rodent from the earliest late Eocene of the Birket Qarun Formation from northern Egypt. So far, it was monotypic in its genus. It was described in September 2010 by Hesham Sallam, Erik Seiffert, Elwyn Simons, and Chlöe Brindley based on isolated teeth, partial mandibles, and an edentulous partial maxilla. It is noteworthy for being the largest known Eocene anomaluroid.
