''Petaurista'' is a genus of rodent in the family Sciuridae. 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 (not actually fly like a bat) 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 is very complex and not fully resolved. In 2005, '' Mammal Species of the World'' recognised eight species, but later studies have found that some of these were highly polyphyletic, 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 A species description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species that have be ...

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 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 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, ''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 from Arunachal Pradesh 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 The Mebo giant flying squirrel (''Petaurista siangensis'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It was first described in 2013 from the East Himalayan forests of Upper Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh in India. It is one of the thre ...

, ''Petaurista siangensis'' Choudhury, 2013

Extinct species

In addition to the living species, there are a few extinct species that only are known from fossil remains from the Mid and Late Pleistocene 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