Laotian giant flying squirrel

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Laotian giant flying squirrel

NUoL FES.MM.12.163, holotype
Conservation status
Data Deficient (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Genus:	Biswamoyopterus
Species:	B. laoensis
Binomial name
*Biswamoyopterus laoensis* Sanamxay, Douangboubpha, Bumrungsri, Xayavong, Xayaphet, Satasook & Bates 2013^[2]

The Laotian giant flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus laoensis) is an arboreal, flying squirrel endemic to Laos. It was the second described member in the genus Biswamoyopterus, after being first collected in September 2012 by scientists researching the animal corpses in the illegal Thongnami bushmeat market, Ban Thongnami, Pakkading District, Bolikhamxai Province.

Description

Biswamoyopterus laoensis has reddish, grizzled fur with white above. Its crown is pale grey, its patagium is orangish and its underparts are white.

Biswamoyopterus laoensis has one of the greatest lengths in the squirrel family, with a body length of 0.46 m (18 in) and a tail length of 0.62 m (24 in), for a total length of 1.08 m (43 in), along with a mass of 1.8 kg (4.0 lb).^[3]^[4] This is slightly larger than the one other Biswamoyopterus species, B. biswasi, known from a single sample found in India in 1981.

References

^ Kennerley, R. (2017). "Biswamoyopterus laoensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T88700294A88700297. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T88700294A88700297.en.
^ Sanamxay, Daosavanh; Douangboubpha, Bounsavane; Bumrungsri, Sara; Xayavong, Sysouphanh; Xayaphet, Vilakhan; Satasook, Chutamas & Bates, Paul 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.
^ Prostak, Sergio (2013-09-06). "Biswamoyopterus laoensis: New Species of Flying Squirrel from Laos". Sci-News. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
^ Kimbrough, Liz (2013-08-06). "Scientists discover new flying mammal in bushmeat market". Mongabay. Retrieved 2016-08-12.

v t e Extant species of family Sciuridae (subfamily Sciurinae, Pteromyini (Flying squirrels) tribe)
Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Mammalia Order: Rodentia Suborder: Sciuromorpha
Aeretes	Groove-toothed flying squirrel (Aeretes melanopterus)
Aeromys (Large black flying squirrels)	Black flying squirrel (Aeromys tephromelas) Thomas's flying squirrel (Aeromys thomasi)
Belomys	Hairy-footed flying squirrel (Belomys pearsonii)
Biswamoyopterus	Namdapha flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi) Mount Gaoligong flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus gaoligongensis) Laotian giant flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus laoensis)
Eoglaucomys	Kashmir flying squirrel (Eoglaucomys fimbriatus)
Eupetaurus	Western woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus) Yunnan woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus nivamons) Tibetan woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus tibetensis)
Glaucomys (New World flying squirrels)	Humboldt's flying squirrel (Glaucomys oregonensis) Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
Hylopetes	Particolored flying squirrel (Hylopetes alboniger) Bartel's flying squirrel (Hylopetes bartelsi) Hainan flying squirrel (Hylopetes electilis) Palawan flying squirrel (Hylopetes nigripes) Indochinese flying squirrel (Hylopetes phayrei) Jentink's flying squirrel (Hylopetes platyurus) Arrow flying squirrel (Hylopetes sagitta) Sipora flying squirrel (Hylopetes sipora) Red-cheeked flying squirrel (Hylopetes spadiceus) Sumatran flying squirrel (Hylopetes winstoni)
Iomys	Javanese flying squirrel (Iomys horsfieldi) Mentawi flying squirrel (Iomys sipora)
Petaurillus (Pygmy flying squirrels)	Lesser pygmy flying squirrel (Petaurillus emiliae) Hose's pygmy flying squirrel (Petaurillus hosei) Selangor pygmy flying squirrel (Petaurillus kinlochii)
Petaurista	Red and white giant flying squirrel (Petaurista alborufus) Spotted giant flying squirrel (Petaurista elegans) Japanese giant flying squirrel (Petaurista leucogenys) Hodgson's giant flying squirrel (Petaurista magnificus) Mechuka giant flying squirrel (Petaurista mechukaensis) Mishmi giant flying squirrel (Petaurista mishmiensis) Bhutan giant flying squirrel (Petaurista nobilis) Red giant flying squirrel (Petaurista petaurista) Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis) Mebo giant flying squirrel (Petaurista siangensis) Chinese giant flying squirrel (Petaurista xanthotis)
Petinomys	Basilan flying squirrel (Petinomys crinitus) Travancore flying squirrel (Petinomys fuscocapillus) Whiskered flying squirrel (Petinomys genibarbis) Hagen's flying squirrel (Petinomys hageni) Siberut flying squirrel (Petinomys lugens) Mindanao flying squirrel (Petinomys mindanensis) Arrow flying squirrel (Petinomys sagitta) Temminck's flying squirrel (Petinomys setosus) Vordermann's flying squirrel (Petinomys vordermanni)
Pteromys (Old World flying squirrels)	Japanese dwarf flying squirrel (Pteromys momonga) Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans)
Pteromyscus	Smoky flying squirrel (Pteromyscus pulverulentus)
Trogopterus	Complex-toothed flying squirrel (Trogopterus xanthipes)
Category

Taxon identifiers
Biswamoyopterus laoensis	Wikidata: Q14828451 Wikispecies: Biswamoyopterus laoensis BioLib: 1089537 CoL: LX87 GBIF: 7674638 iNaturalist: 607210 ITIS: 930360 IUCN: 88700294 MDD: 1001617 Open Tree of Life: 6144982

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