Petaurista lena, Thomas, 1907
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6818890 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FF8E-ED73-FAC8-FBE8F878FE24 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Petaurista lena |
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Taiwan Giant Flying Squirrel
French: Pétauriste de Taiwan / German: Taiwan-Riesengleithornchen / Spanish: Ardila voladora de Taiwan
Taxonomy. Petaurista lena Thomas, 1907 ,
Tapposha, C Formosa, Taiwan, China.
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. Taiwan.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 349-510 mm, tail 360-523 mm; weight 0-88— 1-9 kg. Very distinctive, upperparts uniformly rufous, dull brown tail, and white underparts.
Habitat. Restricted to hardwood and coniferous forests at 1200-3750 m.
Food and Feeding. The Taiwan Giant Flying Squirrel primarily feeds on leaves, bark, and fruits of many tree species including stone oak (Pasania kawakamii), ring-cupped oak (Quercus glauca), Lithocarpus nantoensis, and L. amygdalifolius, all Fagaceae; Machilis japonica (Lauraceae); quadong (Elaeocarpus sylvestris, Elacocarpaceae); wheel tree (Trochodendron aralioides, Trochodendraceae); Mucuna macrocarpa (Fabaceae); and Taiwan turpinia (Turpinia formosana, Staphyleaceae). It eats seeds of cunninghamia (Cunninghamia konishii, Cupressaceae) and flowers and leaves of fried egg plant (Gordonia axillaris, Theaceae). It also consumes bark of plantation Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica, Cupressaceae).
Breeding. Mating of the Taiwan Giant Flying Squirrel occurs in June.
Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Taiwan Giant Flying Squirrel is nocturnal and arboreal.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Densities range from 0-01 ind/ha in coniferous plantation to 0-29 ind/ha in hardwood habitat.
Status and Conservation. Not yet assessed on The IUCN Red List. Current population of the Taiwan Giant Flying Squirrel trend is unknown. More surveys and basic research on its distribution, population status, and natural history are needed to better understand threats and useful conservation action.
Bibliography. Jackson (2012), Jackson & Thorington (2012).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
