Eupetaurus cinereus, Thomas, 1888
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6818900 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FF88-ED75-FFC4-F3D3F6AAF022 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Eupetaurus cinereus |
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Woolly Flying Squirrel
Eupetaurus cinereus View in CoL
French: Polatouche laineux / German: Felsgleithornchen / Spanish: Ardilla voladora lanuda
Other common names: Pakistan Woolly Flying Squirrel
Taxonomy. Eupetaurus cinereus Thomas, 1888 View in CoL ,
“Gilgit Valley, Pakistan.”
Distribution of E. cinereus in the Eastern Himalayas is likely occupied by a separate species of Eupetaurus, but formal description has not yet occurred. Monotypic.
Distribution. Restricted to high elevations in N Pakistan and nearby N India (Kashmir); also in Sikkim, and S China (Tibet = Xizang and Yunnan).
Descriptive notes. Head-body 419-610 mm; tail 381-545 mm; weight 1-4— 2-5 kg. The Woolly Flying Squirrel is one of the largest gliding squirrels. Dorsal pelage is dark brown-gray to chocolate-brown, grizzled with buff-tipped hairs to give blue-gray tinge. Body fur is long and silky, not woolly. Underparts are paler gray, with hairs on throat being creamy white. Ears are hairy, black, or brown on outside, fringed buff, and gray inside. Feet are thickly furred with black hair, and restricted naked area of pads shows pinkish brown skin. Tail is cylindrical and bushy, generally similar to body color, but may be darker or white at distal end. Woolly Flying Squirrels in the eastern Himalayas tend to be more brown than gray. Dentition is hypsodont, with high-crowned teeth more similar to beavers than other sciurids.
Habitat. Rock faces and caves at elevations of 2400-3000 m. Habitat of the Woolly Flying Squirrel is high cold desert, and forest cover in the area is patchy with herbs and shrubs dominated by Artemisia sp. (Asteraceae);junipers (Juniperus sp., Cupressaceae); and chilgoza (Pinus gerardiana), blue pine (P. wallichiana), and spruces (Picea smithiana), all Pinaceae. The Woolly Flying Squirrel dwells in rock crevices and tree cavities and forages among scrub and on cliffs.
Food and Feeding. High-crowned molars of the Woolly Flying Squirrel indicate a diet of rough vegetation. Fecal analysis indicates a nearly exclusive diet of pine needles. Feeding on blue pinecones has also been observed.
Breeding. Females can produce up to two litters per year; breeding season begins in early spring. Litters are 2-3 young.
Activity patterns. The Woolly Flying Squirrel is nocturnal and active throughout the year. Although not normally a tree dweller,it is believed to climb conifer trees to feed.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Woolly Flying Squirrelis solitary, but a variety of vocalization types have been recorded during surveys.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Woolly Flying Squirrel is on the National Red List of Pakistan. Current population trend is unknown. It is believed to produce a substance called “salajit” or “salaajeet,” a hardened mixture of urine, feces, and rock leachate that is collected by local people for medicinal purposes. The Woolly Flying Squirrel was believed to be extinct and was known only from museum specimens until it was rediscovered in 1994. It has since been observed in multiple systematic surveys of its distribution. Threats include habitat destruction of the high-elevation forests and expanding human population.
Bibliography. Din et al. (2015), Dinets (2011), Jackson (2012), Jackson & Thorington (2012), Qamar et al. (2012), Thorington et al. (2012), Yu Fahong et al. (2004), Zahler (1996, 2001), Zahler & Khan (2003).
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.
