Jump to content

Namdapha flying squirrel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Namdapha flying squirrel
Holotype of the Namdapha flying squirrel, viewed from above and below
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Biswamoyopterus
Species:
B. biswasi
Binomial name
Biswamoyopterus biswasi
Saha, 1981[2]

The Namdapha flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi) is a flying squirrel endemic to Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India, where it is known from a single zoological specimen collected in Namdapha National Park in 1981.

Description

[edit]

The Namdapha flying squirrel has reddish, grizzled fur with white above and a pale grey crown; its patagium is orangish and its underparts are white. Its cheek teeth are simple, and its incisors are unpigmented. Septae are multiple in auditory bullae and sometimes honeycomb-shaped with 10 to 12 cells in it. It measures 40.5 cm (15.9 in) from head-to-vent and has a 60 cm (24 in) long tail. The hindfoot is 7.8 cm (3.1 in), and the ear is 4.6 cm (1.8 in) long.[3][4]

Taxonomy

[edit]

The Namdapha flying squirrel first described in 1981, based on a single zoological specimen collected in Namdapha National Park.[2] Its scientific name commemorates Biswamoy Biswas, director of the Zoological Survey of India.[3] It was the first member of the genus Biswamoyopterus; in 2013, the Laotian giant flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus laoensis) was described.[5] In 2018, a new flying squirrel, the Mount Gaoligong flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus gaoligongensis) was discovered in China.[6]

Distribution and habitat

[edit]

The Namdapha flying squirrel is endemic to Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India.[1] It inhabits tall Mesua ferrea jungles, often on hill slopes in the drainage basin area of Dihing River, particularly on the western slope of Patkai range in northeastern India.[3][4]

In April 2022, a putative Namdapha flying squirrel was recorded in Arunachal Pradesh.[7] To prove its validity, the researchers are planning to collect fecal samples for identification of DNA.[8]

Status

[edit]

The Namdapha flying squirrel is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. Its range may be restricted to a single valley, and it is threatened by poaching of animals for food within the park, and possibly by habitat destruction.[1] It is among the 25 "most wanted lost" species that are the focus of Re:wild's "Search for Lost Species" initiative.[9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Molur, S. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Biswamoyopterus biswasi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T2816A115063959. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T2816A22271554.en.
  2. ^ a b Thorington, R.W. Jr; Hoffman, R.S. (2005). "Family Sciuridae". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 754–818. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  3. ^ a b c Saha, S. S. (1981). "A new genus and a new species of flying squirrel (Mammalia: Rodentia: Sciuridae) from northeastern India" (PDF). Bulletin of the Zoological Survey of India. 4 (3): 331–336.
  4. ^ a b Saha, S. S. (1985). "Mammalia" (PDF). Records of the Zoological Survey of India. 82 (1–4): 321–330. doi:10.26515/rzsi/v82/i1-4/1984/161306. S2CID 251697069.
  5. ^ Sanamxay, D.; Douangboubpha, B.; Bumrungsri, S.; Xayavong, S.; Xayaphet, V.; Satasook, C.; Bates, P. J.J. (2013). "Rediscovery of Biswamoyopterus (Mammalia: Rodentia: Sciuridae: Pteromyini) in Asia, with the description of a new species from Lao PDR". Zootaxa. 3686 (4): 471–481. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3686.4.5. PMID 26473234. S2CID 1381787.
  6. ^ Gutoskey, E. (2019). "Humongous, chihuahua-sized species of flying squirrel has been discovered in China". www.mentalfloss.com. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  7. ^ Karmakar, R. (2023). "Missing for 42 years, flying squirrel resurfaces in Arunachal". The Hindu. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  8. ^ Daniel, E. (2023). "This flying squirrel is still lost to science, but maybe not for much longer". Re:wild. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  9. ^ "The Search for Lost Species". Global Wildlife Conservation. Retrieved 10 July 2017.