''Petaurista'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

in the family

Sciuridae Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

. They are large to very large

flying squirrels Flying squirrels (scientifically known as Pteromyini or Petauristini) are a tribe of 50 species of squirrels in the family Sciuridae. Despite their name, they are not in fact capable of full flight in the same way as birds or bats, but they ar ...

found in forests and other wooded habitats in southern and eastern Asia. Like other flying squirrels, they are mostly

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

and able to

glide Glide may refer to: * Gliding flight, to fly without thrust Computing *Glide API, a 3D graphics interface *Glide OS, a web desktop *Glide (software), an instant video messenger *Glide, a molecular docking software by Schrödinger (company), Schr� ...

(not actually fly like a

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...

) long distances between trees by spreading out their

patagium The patagium (plural: patagia) is a membranous body part that assists an animal in obtaining lift when gliding or flight. The structure is found in extant and extinct groups of flying and gliding animals including bats, birds, some dromaeosaurs ...

, skin between their limbs. They feed primarily on plant material, but will also take small animals such as insects.

Taxonomy

The species level

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

is very complex and not fully resolved. In 2005, ''

Mammal Species of the World ''Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference'' is a standard reference work in mammalogy giving descriptions and bibliographic data for the known species of mammals. It is now in its third edition, published in late 2005, ...

'' recognised eight species, but later studies have found that some of these were highly

polyphyletic A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of converg ...

, and recent authorities have often recognised some of the most divergent "

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

" as valid species. Additionally, three new species were described from northeastern India in 2007–2013, although their validity needs to be confirmed.

Living species

Eight species were recognised in ''Mammal Species of the World'' in 2005: * Red and white giant flying squirrel, ''Petaurista alborufus'' Milne-Edwards, 1870 *

Spotted giant flying squirrel The spotted giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista elegans''), also known as the lesser giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in hill and mountain forests at altitudes of in Southeast Asia north to centr ...

, ''Petaurista elegans'' Müller, 1840 *

Japanese giant flying squirrel The is a species of flying squirrel, one of the giant flying squirrels in the genus ''Petaurista''. Description Like other flying squirrels, it has a web of skin between its legs which it uses to glide between trees. Glides of 160 metres have ...

, ''Petaurista leucogenys'' Temminck, 1827 *

Hodgson's giant flying squirrel Hodgson's giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista magnificus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. This large flying squirrel lives in Himalayan forests in Asia. Like other flying squirrels, it is nocturnal and able to glide (not act ...

, ''Petaurista magnificus'' Hodgson, 1836 *

Bhutan giant flying squirrel The Bhutan giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista nobilis''), also known as the Gray's giant flying squirrel or noble giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. This species lives in Himalayan forests and it is one of th ...

, ''Petaurista nobilis'' Gray, 1842 *

Red giant flying squirrel The red giant flying squirrel or common giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista petaurista'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae (squirrels). It is found in a wide variety of forest–types, plantations and more open habitats with scatter ...

, ''Petaurista petaurista'' Pallas, 1766 *

Indian giant flying squirrel The Indian giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista philippensis''), also called the large brown flying squirrel or the common giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is capable of gliding flight using a skin membrane ...

, ''Petaurista philippensis'' Elliot, 1839 *

Chinese giant flying squirrel The Chinese giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista xanthotis'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nat ...

, ''Petaurista xanthotis'' Milne-Edwards, 1872 Seven additional species now often recognised, but traditionally considered subspecies: *

White-bellied giant flying squirrel The red giant flying squirrel or common giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista petaurista'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae (squirrels). It is found in a wide variety of forest–types, plantations and more open habitats with scatter ...

, ''Petaurista albiventer'' Gray, 1834 *

Grey-headed giant flying squirrel The spotted giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista elegans''), also known as the lesser giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in hill and mountain forests at altitudes of in Southeast Asia north to centr ...

, ''Petaurista caniceps'' Gray, 1842 *

Formosan giant flying squirrel The red giant flying squirrel or common giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista petaurista'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae (squirrels). It is found in a wide variety of forest–types, plantations and more open habitats with scatter ...

, ''Petaurista grandis'' Swinhoe, 1863 *

Hainan giant flying squirrel The Indian giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista philippensis''), also called the large brown flying squirrel or the common giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is capable of gliding flight using a skin membrane ...

, ''Petaurista hainana'' G. Allen, 1925 *

Taiwan giant flying squirrel The red and white giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista alborufus'') 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 in mainland China and in T ...

, ''Petaurista lena'' Thomas, 1907 * ''

Petaurista marica The spotted giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista elegans''), also known as the lesser giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in hill and mountain forests at altitudes of in Southeast Asia north to centr ...

'' Thomas, 1912 *

Chindwin giant flying squirrel The spotted giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista elegans''), also known as the lesser giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in hill and mountain forests at altitudes of in Southeast Asia north to centr ...

, ''Petaurista sybilla'' Thomas and Wroughton, 1916 Three new species that were described by

Anwaruddin Choudhury Anwaruddin Choudhury, M.A., Ph.D., D.Sc., is an Indian naturalist, noted for his expertise on the fauna of North-East India. Choudhury is an ornithologist, mammalogist, artist, civil servant, photographer and author. He is recognized by many as a ...

from

Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh (, ) is a state in Northeastern India. It was formed from the erstwhile North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) region, and became a state on 20 February 1987. It borders the states of Assam and Nagaland to the south. It shares int ...

in 2007–2013: *

Mechuka giant flying squirrel The Mechuka giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista mechukaensis'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. First described in 2007 from East Himalayan forests at altitudes of in the region of Mechuka of north-central Arunachal Pradesh in I ...

, ''Petaurista mechukaensis'' Choudhury, 2007 *

Mishmi giant flying squirrel The Mishmi giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista mishmiensis'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. First described in 2009 from East Himalayan forests at altitudes of in the Mishmi Hills of northeastern Arunachal Pradesh in India (it ...

, ''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 A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

remains from the Mid and Late

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

in China, the Russian Far East and Germany: * †''Petaurista brachyodus'' Young, 1934 * †''Petaurista helleri'' Dehm, 1962 * †''Petaurista tetyukhensis'' Tiunov & Gimranov, 2019

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1080535 Rodent genera Taxa named by Johann Heinrich Friedrich Link Taxonomy articles created by Polbot