Red giant flying squirrel
Taguan ( Petaurista petaurista )
The Taguan ( Petaurista petaurista ) is a rodent of the genus Riesengleithörnchen. He lives in Asia in dense forest, from Kashmir to southern China, Sri Lanka, Borneo and Java.
Features
The Taguan is compared to other squirrel relatively large with a head -body length averaging about 40 centimeters, his cock has an average length of 42 centimeters. The body weight is on average 1750 grams. The body color varies regionally, as a rule, the animals have a reddish- brown fur and a light belly.
The Taguan has a large and hairy wing membrane that connects her wrists and ankles together and is increased by a fold of skin between the hind legs and the tail. The wing membrane is muscular and reinforced at the edge, it can be tense and relaxed accordingly to control the direction of gliding. The front feet have four fingers, the hind feet have five toes.
Distribution and habitat
The Taguan has a very large Asian distribution area, the northern South Asia, including southern China and parts of Southeast Asia. In South Asia, the species in eastern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan and India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh in the east occurs. In China, it has been documented in the provinces of Yunnan, Sichuan, Fujian, Guangxi and Guangdong. The Southeast Asian distribution extends over Myanmar and Thailand and the malaische Peninsula to Indonesia on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo.
The altitudinal distribution ranges especially in the area of the Himalayas in northern India to 3,100 meters above sea level. They live mainly in different forest areas, including evergreen and deciduous forests, coniferous and scrub forests. They also come in rocky areas before with less vegetation.
Way of life
Taguane are nocturnal and have their main activity in the early evening hours. They feed on cones, small branches, young leaves and flower buds, seasonal added nuts and fruit. During the day they hide in hollow trees to go at dusk in search of food. The animals are good climbers and they are able to perform long gliding flights of up to 75 meters. To this end, they jump from high places, usually treetops or high branches, and control the flight of the muscular flying membrane. While they rest, they fold the wing membrane and keep them close to your body.
The animals live alone, in pairs or in family groups of their reproduction is not much known. Apparently throw the females twice a year, in March and August, in a specially built nest two to three pups per litter. In captivity, the animals reach an age of up to 16 years.
Although the areas where the Taguan occurs in winter are often very cold, they do not hibernate. It is believed, however, that they move to areas with greater food volume.
System
The Taguan is assigned as one of currently eight species of the genus of Riesengleithörnchen ( Petaurista ). Wilson & Reeder 2005 distinguished a total of 18 subspecies, with the now regarded as a separate species Petaurista philippensis originally was also a subspecies. For the way a revision is proposed because it is assumed that it is a collection of several very similar species.
Threat and protection
The species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN ) due to the population size and the large distribution area as not at risk ( least concern ). Local is the population declining, mainly because of habitat change and the conversion of forest areas into agricultural land. However, the species occurs in several protected areas where no decline in stocks is to be assumed.