141.

Indian Giant Flying Squirrel

Petaurista philippensis

French: Pétauriste indien / German: Indien-Riesengleithornchen / Spanish: Ardilla voladora gigante de India

Other common names: Large Brown Flying Squirrel

Taxonomy. Petaurista philippensis Elliot, 1839,

“Near Madras, India.”

Five subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

P.p.philippensisElliot,1839—patchydistributioninC&SIndiaandSriLanka.

P.p.annamensisThomas,1914—Vietnam.

P.p.cineraceusBlyth,1847—NEIndia(ArunachalPradesh)andmostofMyanmar;mayoccurinextremeETibet(=Xizang,China).

P.p.lyleiBonhote,1900—C&SChina(EGansu,Shaanxi,ESichuan,Chongqing,Hubei,Yunnan,Guizhou,Guanxi,Jianxi,andGuangdongprovinces),EMyanmar,andmostofIndochina.

P. p. mergulus Thomas, 1922 — Mergui Archipelago, off S Myanmar.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 377-610 mm, tail 480-691 mm; weight 1.3-2.3 kg. The Indian Giant Flying Squirrel is second largest species of Petaurista; the Bhutan Giant Flying Squirrel (P. nobilis) is larger. Dorsal pelage of the Indian Giant Flying Squirrelis uniformly dark gray or black;tail is long, and venter is brownish to buff. Fronts of ears are reddish. Nominate philippensis is brownish grizzled white, with white being very conspicuous. Underparts are white. Patagium can be tinged with rufous. Subspecies annamensis is chestnut rufous to rufous, with white muzzle, white speckles, and blackish tail. Backs of forearms and ears of cineraceus are bay colored, and tail is drab gray. Subspecies lylei is similar to cineraceus, but it is darker and more richly colored; lower back is gray; distal 75 mm of tail are black; eye ring, nose, and chin are dark brown; gray on lower cheeks fades to white as it approaches throat; underparts are white (with buffy wash) to red; forearms are dark brown, turning darker toward phalanges; phalanges are black; and black extends under arms and along edges of patagium. Dorsum of mergulus is grizzled grayish brown, with light olivaceus to chestnut rufous suffusion; venteris grayish white; chin and throat are browner; hands and feet are black; and tail is grizzled hoary gray, with black tip.

Habitat. Subtropical hardwood and conifer forests. In Western Ghats, India, the Indian Giant Flying Squirrel consistently forages more often in forest edges and open forest patches, and it occurs in large and small forest fragments. It appears resilient to forest disturbance and fragmentation, but on Hainan, China, only larger forest fragments are occupied. In China,it occupiesfive of twelve zoogeographical regions, which demonstrates generalist tendencies.

Food and Feeding. The Indian Giant Flying Squirrel is highly folivorous but somewhat frugivorous. Leaf parts, for example, are estimated to be 74% ofits annual diet in Taiwan, where 30 species of plants are frequently eaten. Fruits and young leaves are consumed in spring, summer, and autumn in Taiwan; mature leaves are eaten when other foods are not available. Elsewhere, leaves form 34-61% of diets. In Western Ghats, India,it eats fruit (e.g. figs of Ficus racemosa, Moraceae) more than any other dietary item (44% of observations), followed by leaves (34%), flowers, bark, and lichens. It eats many othertree fruits when in season and can be a pest in coconut plantations. It also eats termites, beetles, and insect larvae.

Breeding. The Indian Giant Flying Squirrel breeds in winter, early spring, and autumn. Litter sizes are 1-2 young, most commonly one.

Activity patterns. Indian Giant Flying Squirrels are nocturnal and nearly exclusively arboreal. They frequently rely on tree cavities for nesting. They are most active before midnight. They have been observed lying on their back in hot weather with gliding membranes extended to keep cool.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Large nests of Indian Giant Flying Squirrels are constructed of leaves, shredded bark, and roots in hollows of trees or branches c.18 m aboveground. Nests are lined with fur, grass, and moss and generally have two entrances. Adult female home ranges in conifer plantations are 3-3-4 ha. Densities are 0-11-0-64 ind/ha. In Western Ghats, playback calls of owl species are suggested as a potential census method for the Indian Giant Flying Squirrel; in response to such calls, they are often seen and heard making alarm calls. Larger-bodied owls are therefore assumed to be important predators but details on predation attempts are not available.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Current population trend of the Indian Giant Flying Squirrel 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. Humans hunt Indian Giant Flying Squirrels for food and medicinal purposes throughoutits distribution, and rewards are given for killing them where they are pests. Habitat loss in certain areas and fragmentation might be especially problematic because Indian Giant Flying Squirrels cannot disperse across open ground. Populations confined to small habitat fragments can potentially lead to decreased numbers and increased inbreeding and inbreeding depression.

Bibliography. Babu & Jayson (2009), Chowattukunnel & Esslinger (1979), Jackson (2012), Jackson & Thorington (2012), Koli (2016), Kuo Chichien & Lee Lingling (2003), Nameer et al. (2001), Nandini & Parthasarathy (2008), Smith & Yan Xie (2008), Sridhar et al. (2008), Thorington et al. (2012), Walston, Duckworth & Molur (2008b), Xiang Zuofu et al. (2004), Yu Farong et al. (2006).