Petaurista petaurista

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Bibliography

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	SCIURIDAE

Scientific Name:

Petaurista petaurista

Species Authority:

(Pallas, 1766)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Common Giant Flying Squirrel, Red Giant Flying Squirrel

Taxonomic Notes:

Petaurista petaurista possibly represents a complex of several similar species. Further studies are needed to clarify the taxonomic status of populations currently allocated to this species.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2008
Assessor/s:	Walston, J., Duckworth, J.W., Sarker, S.U. & Molur, S.
Reviewer/s:	Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Cox, N. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)
Contributor/s:
Justification: Assessed as Least Concern because it is a widespread species that is abundant in suitable habitat. While habitat conversion is occurring in unprotected parts of its, range the species occurs in numerous protected areas and is not experiencing significant decline within those protected areas.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This widely distributed species has been recorded from northern South Asia, southern China and Southeast Asia. This species has a large distribution in South Asia, being recorded from eastern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, eastern Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and northern India at elevations of 500 to 3,100 m asl (Molur et al. 2005). In China, it has been recorded from Yunnan, Sichuan, Fujian, Guangxi and Guangdong (Smith and Xie 2008). In Southeast Asia, it is found on the mainland from Myanmar in the west, into western Thailand and south to Peninsular Malaysia. It is largely distributed in insular Southeast Asia on the island of Sumatra and Java (both to Indonesia) and Borneo (Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia).
Countries:	Native: Afghanistan; Brunei Darussalam; China (Sichuan, Yunnan); India (Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir, Meghalaya, Punjab, Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal); Indonesia (Jawa, Kalimantan, Sumatera); Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak); Myanmar; Nepal; Thailand
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is often a locally common to abundant species.
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	It is an arboreal and nocturnal species. It occurs in moist evergreen broadleaf forest, temperate forest, coniferous forests, scrub forest, rocky areas as inland cliffs, mountain peaks (Molur et al. 2005; Smith and Xie 2008).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Habitat conversion due to logging, agriculture, dam construction, infrastructure development and urbanization is occurring throughout the range of the species. It has been harvested for the pet and fur trade in South Asia (Molur et al. 2005).

Major Threat(s):

Habitat conversion due to logging, agriculture, dam construction, infrastructure development and urbanization is occurring throughout the range of the species. It has been harvested for the pet and fur trade in South Asia (Molur et al. 2005).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	This species is present in many protected areas (eg. Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh, India). This is considered to be a species complex for which taxonomic revision is needed. Surveys and monitoring are recommended for this species in South Asia (Molur et al. 2005).

Conservation Actions:

This species is present in many protected areas (eg. Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh, India). This is considered to be a species complex for which taxonomic revision is needed. Surveys and monitoring are recommended for this species in South Asia (Molur et al. 2005).

Bibliography [top]

	Duckworth, J. W., Salter, R. E. and Khounbline, K. 1999. Wildlife in Lao PDR: 1999 Status Report. IUCN, Vientiane, Laos. Ellerman, J. R. 1961. Rodentia. The fauna of India including Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon. Mammalia, Manager of Publications, Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta, USA. Lekagul, B. and Mcneely, J. A. 1988. Mammals of Thailand. White Lotus Press, Bangkok, Thailand. Molur, S., Srinivasulu, C., Srinivasulu, B., Walker, S., Nameer, P. O. and Ravikumar, L. 2005. Status of non-volant small mammals: Conservation Assessment and Management Plan (C.A.M.P) workshop report. Zoo Outreach Organisation / CBSG-South Asia., Comibatore, India.

Duckworth, J. W., Salter, R. E. and Khounbline, K. 1999. Wildlife in Lao PDR: 1999 Status Report. IUCN, Vientiane, Laos.

Ellerman, J. R. 1961. Rodentia. The fauna of India including Pakistan, Burma and Ceylon. Mammalia, Manager of Publications, Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta, USA.

Lekagul, B. and Mcneely, J. A. 1988. Mammals of Thailand. White Lotus Press, Bangkok, Thailand.

Molur, S., Srinivasulu, C., Srinivasulu, B., Walker, S., Nameer, P. O. and Ravikumar, L. 2005. Status of non-volant small mammals: Conservation Assessment and Management Plan (C.A.M.P) workshop report. Zoo Outreach Organisation / CBSG-South Asia., Comibatore, India.

Citation:	Walston, J., Duckworth, J.W., Sarker, S.U. & Molur, S. 2008. Petaurista petaurista. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 June 2013.
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