Travancore flying squirrel

Travancore flying squirrel
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
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 fuscocapillusJerdon, 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 (Nanayakkara et al. 2013). It was subsequently confirmed to also be present in Sri Lanka after 78 years (Nanayakkara et al. 2013). 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

1. Kennerley, R. (2016). "Petinomys fuscocapillus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016 e.T16734A22241374. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T16734A22241374.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
2. Yapa, A.; Ratnavira, G. (2013). Mammals of Sri Lanka. Colombo: Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka. p. 1012. ISBN   978-955-8576-32-8.

• 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=@@@