The Yunnan woolly flying squirrel (''Eupetaurus nivamons'') is a species of very large

flying squirrel 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 ...

in the genus ''

Eupetaurus ''Eupetaurus'' is a genus of rodent in the family Sciuridae. Members of this genus are known as woolly flying squirrels. They are large to very large flying squirrels found in the highest rocky cliffs near the Tree line, treeline of the Himalayas ...

''. It is found on the southeastern margin of the Himalayas, namely in northwestern Yunnan and potentially

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

. It is thought to be the sister species to the

Tibetan woolly flying squirrel The Tibetan woolly flying squirrel (''Eupetaurus tibetensis'') is a species of very large flying squirrel in the genus ''Eupetaurus''. It is found in the south-central portion of the Tibetan Plateau, namely south-central Tibet, northern Sikkim, a ...

(''E. tibetensis''), from which it likely diverged during the Pliocene- Pleistocene boundary. It differs from the

western woolly flying squirrel The western woolly flying squirrel (''Eupetaurus cinereus'') is a species of very large flying squirrel in the genus ''Eupetaurus''. It is native to northern Pakistan and northwestern India. It was long considered the only species in the genus un ...

(''E. cinereus'') in its more saturated brown dorsal pelage, and differs from ''E. tibetensis'' in its much shorter black tail tip. It also has a much wider rostrum than the other two ''Eupetaurus'' species. It has been documented (through both specimens and camera trap images) from two localities; Mount Gaoligong, the highest peak of the Gaoligong Mountains and a nationally protected nature reserve, and Biluo Snow Mountain, which is currently unprotected. In 2020, during a biodiversity survey conducted in northwestern Bhutan, images of a woolly flying squirrel closely resembling ''E. nivamons'' were captured via camera trap within the confines of Jigme Dorji National Park, though further research is necessary to positively identify the photographed specimen. It is thought to inhabit steep cliffs on

alpine tundra Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated alpine climate, harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alp ...

, where it feeds on '' Juniperus squamata''. Evidence for species activity is known even in the coldest and snowiest months of the year, indicating that it does not

hibernate Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It most ...

or migrate from the area. Due to its rarity and small habitat area, as well as the potential threats its alpine habitat faces from climate change, it has been recommended it be classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.

References

Eupetaurus Rodents of China Fauna of Yunnan Rodents of Myanmar Mammals described in 2021 {{Squirrel-stub

See also

References