Namdapha flying squirrel

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Namdapha flying squirrel

Holotype of the Namdapha flying squirrel, viewed from above and below
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Genus:	Biswamoyopterus
Species:	B. biswasi
Binomial name
*Biswamoyopterus biswasi* Saha, 1981^[2]

The Namdapha flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi) is a flying squirrel endemic to Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India, where it is known from a single zoological specimen collected in Namdapha National Park in 1981.

Description

The Namdapha flying squirrel has reddish, grizzled fur with white above and a pale grey crown; its patagium is orangish and its underparts are white. Its cheek teeth are simple, and its incisors are unpigmented. Septae are multiple in auditory bullae and sometimes honeycomb-shaped with 10 to 12 cells in it. It measures 40.5 cm (15.9 in) from head-to-vent and has a 60 cm (24 in) long tail. The hindfoot is 7.8 cm (3.1 in), and the ear is 4.6 cm (1.8 in) long.^[3]^[4]

Taxonomy

The Namdapha flying squirrel first described in 1981, based on a single zoological specimen collected in Namdapha National Park.^[2] Its scientific name commemorates Biswamoy Biswas, director of the Zoological Survey of India.^[3] It was the first member of the genus Biswamoyopterus; in 2013, the Laotian giant flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus laoensis) was described.^[5] In 2018, a new flying squirrel, the Mount Gaoligong flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus gaoligongensis) was discovered in China.^[6]

Distribution and habitat

The Namdapha flying squirrel is endemic to Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India.^[1] It inhabits tall Mesua ferrea jungles, often on hill slopes in the drainage basin area of Dihing River, particularly on the western slope of Patkai range in northeastern India.^[3]^[4]

In April 2022, a putative Namdapha flying squirrel was recorded in Arunachal Pradesh.^[7] To prove its validity, the researchers are planning to collect fecal samples for identification of DNA.^[8]

Status

The Namdapha flying squirrel is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. Its range may be restricted to a single valley, and it is threatened by poaching of animals for food within the park, and possibly by habitat destruction.^[1] It is among the 25 "most wanted lost" species that are the focus of Re:wild's "Search for Lost Species" initiative.^[9]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Biswamoyopterus biswasi.

^ ^a ^b ^c Molur, S. (2017) [errata version of 2016 assessment]. "Biswamoyopterus biswasi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T2816A115063959. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T2816A22271554.en.
^ ^a ^b Thorington, R.W. Jr; Hoffman, R.S. (2005). "Family Sciuridae". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 754–818. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
^ ^a ^b ^c Saha, S. S. (1981). "A new genus and a new species of flying squirrel (Mammalia: Rodentia: Sciuridae) from northeastern India" (PDF). Bulletin of the Zoological Survey of India. 4 (3): 331–336.
^ ^a ^b Saha, S. S. (1985). "Mammalia" (PDF). Records of the Zoological Survey of India. 82 (1–4): 321–330. doi:10.26515/rzsi/v82/i1-4/1984/161306. S2CID 251697069.
^ Sanamxay, D.; Douangboubpha, B.; Bumrungsri, S.; Xayavong, S.; Xayaphet, V.; Satasook, C.; Bates, P. 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. S2CID 1381787.
^ Gutoskey, E. (2019). "Humongous, chihuahua-sized species of flying squirrel has been discovered in China". www.mentalfloss.com. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
^ Karmakar, R. (2023). "Missing for 42 years, flying squirrel resurfaces in Arunachal". The Hindu. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
^ Daniel, E. (2023). "This flying squirrel is still lost to science, but maybe not for much longer". Re:wild. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
^ "The Search for Lost Species". Global Wildlife Conservation. Retrieved 10 July 2017.

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 biswasi	Wikidata: Q1482523 Wikispecies: Biswamoyopterus biswasi ADW: Biswamoyopterus_biswasi ARKive: biswamoyopterus-biswasi CoL: LX86 EoL: 1178602 GBIF: 2437546 iNaturalist: 46204 IRMNG: 10226726 ITIS: 632491 IUCN: 2816 MDD: 1001615 MSW: 12400294 NCBI: 2599451 Observation.org: 82058 Open Tree of Life: 3609183 ZooBank: 2978FC4C-EB01-444A-A6ED-82635608D7C5

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