Namdapha Flying Squirrel

About this species

Size

Head to vent 40.5cm; tail 60cm

Diet

Young leaves and shoots in the upper canopy

Habitat

Tall Mesua ferrea forest on hill slopes in the Dihing River basin, western slope of the Patkai range

Range

Endemic to Arunachal Pradesh, north-east India

The Namdapha flying squirrel is endemic to Arunachal Pradesh in north-east India and is known from a single specimen, collected in Namdapha National Park in 1981. It has reddish, grizzled fur with white above and a pale grey crown, an orangish patagium and white underparts. The specimen measured 40.5 cm from head to vent with a 60 cm tail, and the ear was 4.6 cm long (Wikipedia, general species account).

It inhabits tall Mesua ferrea forest, often on hill slopes in the drainage of the Dihing River, particularly on the western slope of the Patkai range. Field observations suggest it feeds mainly on young leaves and shoots in the upper canopy of subtropical evergreen forest, so it depends on mature forest with continuous canopy for food and gliding routes. In April 2022 a putative Namdapha flying squirrel was recorded in Arunachal Pradesh (Wikipedia, general species account).

Description: Wildlife of India guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)