Flying squirrel

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Flying squirrels
Fossil range: Early Oligocene - Recent

Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Subphylum:	Vertebrata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Subfamily:	Sciurinae
Tribe:	Pteromyini Brandt, 1855

Genera

Aeretes
Aeromys
Belomys
Biswamoyopterus
Eupetaurus
Glaucomys
Hylopetes
Iomys
Petaurillus
Petaurista
Petinomys
Pteromys
Pteromyscus
Trogopterus

The flying squirrels, scientifically known as Pteromyini or Petauristini, are a tribe of squirrel (family Sciuridae). There are 43 species in this tribe, the largest of which is the woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus). The 2 species of the genus Glaucomys (Glaucomys sabrinus and Glaucomys volans) are native to North America, and the Siberian flying squirrel is native to parts of northern Europe (Pteromys volans).

The term "flying" is somewhat of a misnomer, since flying squirrels are actually gliders incapable of true flight. Gliding is achieved by this animal by launching off the tops of trees and extending flaps of skin stretched from arms to legs: once they have launched themselves into the air they are highly maneuverable while in flight. Steering is accomplished by adjusting tautness of the patagium, largely controlled by a small cartilaginous wrist bone. The tail acts as a stabilizer in flight, much like the tail of a kite, and as an adjunct aerofoil when "braking" prior to landing on a tree trunk.

Though their lifespan is only about five years in the wild, flying squirrels often live between 10 and 15 years in captivity. This difference in lifespan is due to these creatures being important prey animals, probably the most well-known predator being the northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis) in the Pacific Northwest of North America. Predation mortality rates in sub-adults are very high. Predators include arboreal snakes, raccoons, nocturnal owls, marten, fisher, coyote and the domestic house cat.

1 Genera

[edit] Genera

A Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) in flight.

Aeretes, 1 species, the Groove-toothed Flying Squirrel or North Chinese Flying Squirrel (A. melanopterus), northeast China.
Aeromys, 2 species, Thailand to Borneo.
Belomys, 1 species, the hairy-footed flying squirrel (B. pearsonii), southeast Asia.
Biswamoyopterus, 1 species, the Namdapha flying squirrel, India.
Eupetaurus, 1 species, the woolly flying squirrel, Kashmir; rare.
Glaucomys (American flying squirrels), 2 species, the Northern flying squirrel and the Southern flying squirrel, North America.
Hylopetes, 7 species, southeast Asia.
Iomys, 1 species, Horsfield's Flying Squirrel, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Petaurillus (pygmy flying squirrels), 3 species, Borneo and Malaya.
Petaurista (giant flying squirrels), 5 species, southeast Asia (including the Japanese giant flying squirrel, the Red giant flying squirrel, and the giant flying-squirrel).
Petinomys, 9 species, southeast Asia.
Pteromys, 2 species, Finland to Japan (including the Japanese dwarf flying squirrel).
Pteromyscus, 1 species, the Smoky Flying Squirrel, southern Thailand to Borneo.
Trogopterus, 1 species, the complex-toothed flying squirrel, China.