Travancore flying squirrel

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Travancore flying squirrel
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Genus:	Petinomys
Species:	P. fuscocapillus
Binomial name
*Petinomys fuscocapillus* (Jerdon, 1847)
Synonyms
Sciuropterus layardi Kelaart, 1850 Sciuropterus fuscocapillus Jerdon, 1847

Travancore flying squirrel (Petinomys fuscocapillus) is a flying squirrel found in Sri Lanka and the Western Ghats of South India. Travancore flying squirrels were thought to be extinct but were rediscovered in 1989 after a gap of 100 years in Kerala. It was rediscovered in Sri Lanka after 78 years. The animals were reported only in wet and intermediate zones of the island, and had a few sightings in the Sinharaja Forest Reserve.

Description

The head and body length is 32 cm, and the tail is 25–29 cm. Dorsally, this species is reddish brown, with ruddy-tinged grayish underparts. The tail is feather-shaped and reddish brown with a blackish undersurface. Their vibrissae are black. Like other members of this genus, the fur is soft, long and sheen. ^{[citation needed]}

Subspecies

There are 2 subspecies:

Petinomys fuscocapillus fuscocapillus (Jerdon, 1847) - Western Ghats of Peninsular India
Petinomys fuscocapillus layardi (Kelaart, 1850) - Sri Lanka.

Ecology

A rare, nocturnal mammal with a largely frugivorous diet, they are known to eat bark, shoots, and leaves, and sometimes insects.^[2]

References

^ Kennerley, R. (2016). "Petinomys fuscocapillus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T16734A22241374. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T16734A22241374.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
^ Yapa, A.; Ratnavira, G. (2013). Mammals of Sri Lanka. Colombo: Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka. p. 1012. ISBN 978-955-8576-32-8.

Ananthakrishnan G. (3/12/2006) Squirrels in focus, the Hindu, retrieved 6/13/2007 Two flying squirrel species
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/237099131_The_small_flying_squirrel_(Petinomys_fuscocapillus)_observed_after_78_years_in_Sri_Lanka
http://www.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/mmonline.dll/portal/localContentView.do?tabId=16&programId=1079897624&contentId=13866795&district=Cochin&BV_ID=@@@

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
Petinomys fuscocapillus	Wikidata: Q1766700 Wikispecies: Petinomys fuscocapillus CoL: 76V2C EoL: 1178628 GBIF: 2437256 iNaturalist: 45973 IRMNG: 11075240 ITIS: 632517 IUCN: 16734 MDD: 1001658 MSW: 12400424 NCBI: 1534979 Observation.org: 86572 Open Tree of Life: 3609025
Sciuropterus fuscocapillus	Wikidata: Q109647467 GBIF: 5786616

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