Communication in P. elegans and other members of the genus is not well known. Flying squirrels in general tend to be quiet animals. However, it is likely that they communicate through visual, chemical, auditory, and tactile signals, as do most mammals.
Because they are likely to be nocturnal animals, P. elegans may rely on auditory, tactile, and chemical cues primarily and have especially keen night vision.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Giant flying squirrels (genus Petaurista) were once fairly abundant within their range. However, human destruction of natural habitats, especially of tall trees necessary for nesting sites, and direct hunting pressures have had a negative impact on their breeding success. As a result, there has been a significant decrease in populations over the past several decades. However, the conservation status of P. elegans has not been formally evaluated.
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
There are no known adverse affects of P. elegans on humans.
In some areas species of Petaurista are a food source for the indigenous people, and P. elegans are also hunted for their fur and hides.
Positive Impacts: food ; body parts are source of valuable material
Spotted giant flying squirrels clearly play a role as primary and probably secondary consumers, but specific ecological roles have not been documented. P. elegans are hosts for Atopophthirus emersoni, a species of sucking louse. They may act as seed dispersers of the fruits they eat.
Petaurista in general are known to consume soft fruit, nuts, leaves and shoots, and they may also eat eggs, insects, and larvae.
Animal Foods: eggs; insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods
Plant Foods: leaves; seeds, grains, and nuts; fruit
Primary Diet: omnivore
The range of Petaurista elegans extends from Nepal east and southeast across the Malay Peninsula, as far east as Vietnam. Their range also includes the islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo, as well as a few smaller surrounding islands.
Biogeographic Regions: oriental
Spotted giant flying squirrels, also known as lesser giant flying squirrels, are found in temperate forests. They are arboreal, usually encountered in trees 15-20 meters above ground. They are more common at higher altitudes, 3,000 to 4,000 meters above sea level, though they are sometimes observed at lower elevations in the spring, possibly in search of food not found at higher altitudes during that time of year.
Range elevation: 3,000 to 4,000 m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; mountains
Longevity of P. elegans is not known, but a related species, P. petaurista, lived up to 16 years in captivity.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 16 (high) years.
Petaurista elegans individuals are roughly the size of a cat, with adults weighing between 1,138 and 1,362 grams. Head and body length can be 305-585 mm, with a brush-like tail that can exceed the length of the body varying from 356-635 mm. All Petaurista have a furry membrane between their ankles and wrists that is supported by a cartilaginous rod that assists in gliding. Six mammae are located on their abdominal region. Their general coloration is dark on top and light on the underside. There is significant geographic variation in the species, and some authorities recognize multiple subspecies. Variants involve coloration of the back (brown to black), spotting on the back (unspotted to spotted, with spotted individuals varying in the extent of spotting), presence of reddish rump patch and/or a black line running the length of their backs, and the coloration of limbs and tail (black, brown or orange). The presence of intermediates connecting these forms supports recognizing all within a single, variable species.
Range mass: 1,138 to 1,362 g.
Range length: 305 to 585 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry ; polymorphic
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
Little is known about the predators of P. elegans and their anti-predator adaptations. They may be most susceptible to volant and arboreal predators, such as owls and civets.
The mating systems of P. elegans have not been studied. Studies of a close relative, P. petaurista, suggested that mated pairs remain together throughout the year and are generally observed together.
Little is known about reproduction in P. elegans. They have been observed to produce litters of one or two offspring, and in Nepal, lactating females were collected in October.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 2.
Average number of offspring: 1.
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
Parental care in P. elegans has not been studied, but if mated pairs remain together throughout the year (as in P. petaurista) suggests that both males and females care for their offspring until independence.
The spotted giant flying squirrel (Petaurista elegans), also known as the lesser giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae.[1][2] It is found in hill and mountain forests at altitudes of 200–4,000 m (660–13,120 ft) in Southeast Asia north to central China and the east Himalayan region,[1] although the northern populations sometimes are regarded as separate species as the grey-headed giant flying squirrel (P. caniceps), Chindwin giant flying squirrel (P. sybilla) and P. marica. Two of these, as well as a few other populations, lack the white spots on the upperparts for which it is named.[2][3] Although a large flying squirrel, it is a relatively small giant flying squirrel.[2]
Like other flying squirrels, it is nocturnal and able to glide (not actually fly like a bat) long distances between trees by spreading out its patagium, skin between its limbs.[4][5] A rather noisy species that has a drawn-out cry that often can be heard at night, it spends the day in a tree hollow, or, less often, on a cliff ledge or in a nest made of vegetation in a tree. It feeds on fruits, seeds, leaves, buds and flowers, and has one, occasionally two, young per litter.[3][4][6]
Considerable taxonomic uncertainty surrounds the northern subspecies caniceps, sybilla and marica of the spotted giant flying squirrel. Especially the distinctive caniceps (grey-headed giant flying squirrel) and less often sybilla (Chindwin giant flying squirrel) have been regarded as separate species.[2][3][4][7] In 2005, Mammal Species of the World opted to regard all as subspecies of the spotted giant flying squirrel.[8] In 2012, it was proposed that caniceps should be regarded as a separate species, but with sybilla as its subspecies, while leaving marica as a subspecies of P. elegans.[9] However, in addition to their distinctive appearance, caniceps, sybilla and marica occur together in a small part of southern China.[7][10] A genetic study has revealed that caniceps is distantly related to all of these, being closer to some other species like the red giant flying squirrel. Although sybilla, marica and P. elegans are closer to each other than they are to any other giant flying squirrel, they are quite deeply split. It is estimated that sybilla split from marica about 1.87 million years ago, and they split from P. elegans even earlier.[7] Another study that compared north Vietnam specimens (either sybilla or marica based on appearance and location) with P. elegans also revealed a relatively deep genetic split between them.[11] This has resulted in the recommendation of recognizing caniceps, sybilla and marica as separate species, but some unresolved issues remain. Both genetic studies were based on P. elegans of the subspecies sumatrana from Sumatra.[7][11] The subspecies punctata of the Thai-Malay Peninsula has not been sampled. In appearance it quite resembles sumatrana,[5] but intermediates between punctata and marica may occur in the area where their ranges come into contact in Thailand.[2]
A secondary problem is related to certain Chinese and Nepali populations, by some authorities recognize as the subspecies clarkei and gorkhali,[6][10] but others consider both as synonyms of caniceps.[8] Additionally, populations in the Chinese provinces of Gansu, Guangxi, Hubei, Hunan and Shaanxi appear to belong to two undescribed taxa.[10]
The spotted giant flying squirrel has a head-and-body length of about 29.5–40 cm (11.5–15.5 in), tail length of 34–40.5 cm (13.5–16 in) and weighs 760–1,560 g (1.68–3.44 lb). This makes it a large species of flying squirrel, but the smallest giant flying squirrel in its range.[2][4][12]
The underparts are light orange-brown to pale rufous, but especially the colour of the head, upperparts and tail vary considerably depending on subspecies. The first group of subspecies has a black tail with only the base rufous-brown. In P. e. punctata of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, the head and upperparts are rufous-brown, somewhat darker on the midback. The upperparts from the top of the head and shoulders to the rump have many relatively large white spots, although on occasion they are more restricted.[2][13] P. e. banksi of highlands of northern Borneo is similar, except that its upper head, nape and back are black, resulting in a clear contrast with the rich rufous-brown flanks and tail base. It has white spots above as in P. e. punctata, but these can be absent in young.[14] The Sumatran P. e. sumatrana resembles P. e. punctata, but has fewer white spots that mostly are distributed on the mid-back. The Javan P. e. elegans and P. e. slamatensis (the latter likely is a synonym of the former[9]) resemble P. e. banksi, but the upperparts often are more grizzled-black and white spots can be entirely absent.[2][5]
The second group of subspecies has an entirely (P. e. marica and P. e. sybilla) or mostly (P. e. caniceps) orangish-brown or reddish-brown tail. P. e. marica from Mainland Southeast Asia (except the Thai-Malay Peninsula) and southern Yunnan and westernmost Guangxi in China is lighter brown above than P. e. punctata and has less white spots that mostly are distributed on the top of the head to the central back. P. e. sybilla of northern Myanmar, southern Sichuan and Yunnan in China and easternmost Arunachal Pradesh in India is orangish-brown or reddish-brown above with a slightly more grey-brown back that completely lacks white spots. The final subspecies, P. e. caniceps from Uttarakhand in India and Nepal to Arunachal Pradesh in India and southern Xizang, Guizhou and Sichuan in China, has a body-colouration similar to P. e. sybilla and also lacks white spots, but is unique in its black tail-tip and all grey head, except for a white throat and an orange-brown ring around each eye.[2][5][6][10][15]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) The spotted giant flying squirrel (Petaurista elegans), also known as the lesser giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in hill and mountain forests at altitudes of 200–4,000 m (660–13,120 ft) in Southeast Asia north to central China and the east Himalayan region, although the northern populations sometimes are regarded as separate species as the grey-headed giant flying squirrel (P. caniceps), Chindwin giant flying squirrel (P. sybilla) and P. marica. Two of these, as well as a few other populations, lack the white spots on the upperparts for which it is named. Although a large flying squirrel, it is a relatively small giant flying squirrel.
Like other flying squirrels, it is nocturnal and able to glide (not actually fly like a bat) long distances between trees by spreading out its patagium, skin between its limbs. A rather noisy species that has a drawn-out cry that often can be heard at night, it spends the day in a tree hollow, or, less often, on a cliff ledge or in a nest made of vegetation in a tree. It feeds on fruits, seeds, leaves, buds and flowers, and has one, occasionally two, young per litter.
