Woolly flying squirrel

Felsgleithörnchen ( Eupetaurus cinereus )

The Felsgleithörnchen or Wollgleithörnchen ( Eupetaurus cinereus ) is a large flying squirrel of the Himalayas. It is the science little known, since only extremely rarely live specimens were observed. Some of these flying squirrels were found in the under Pakistani control parts of Kashmir, others in Sikkim. Two skins also appeared on in Yunnan, which suggests that the species is widespread here. Whether the distribution area is so sketchy or the species lives just very hidden, is not known.

With a body length of about 50 cm and an almost equally long tail, this is after the Riesengleithörnchen the largest flying squirrel in the world. A tight relationship between the two genera is accepted. The most striking feature of the Felsgleithörnchens is the dense, woolly fur which is colored gray. This is apparently an adaptation to cold climates at high altitudes. One of the few copies was observed melanic. In anatomy, the Felsgleithörnchen of his relatives distinguished by a longer snout and hypsodont (ie hochkronige ) molars.

Previous reports, the Felsgleithörnchen has blunt claws, which have no traction on trees; the squirrels live accordingly in rocky areas above the tree line, and to keep from mosses and lichens. This could not confirm payers in 1994 after the rediscovery of the beast; which he examined specimen had sharp claws. Although it actually temporarily lives above the tree line, it is now considered likely that the Felsgleithörnchen is dependent on coniferous forests.

The Felsgleithörnchen was probably always been a very rare species, but not always so extreme rarity. After the biologist Oldfield Thomas had the animal first described in 1888, it was until the 1920s regularly captured and seen. The most recent sighting by scientists came from the year 1924. Thereafter, although there were reports of locals, but for seventy years the Felsgleithörnchen for science remained missing. It was only discovered in 1994, a targeted seeking after the animal expedition under the leadership of the American Peter Zahler and Chantal Djeteman. They paid $ 250 two locals that they were led to the animal that lived in a cave above the Sai valley. They examined the animal and released it then to freedom.

Since 1996, further attempts to recover the Felsgleithörnchen been unsuccessful. It was only to find the feces of the animal. The analysis tactics involved an interesting mainly composed of pine needles diet, which could also explain the hypsodont dentition. DNA studies were made to the lying in museums stuffed specimens. The results suggest that the western and eastern populations of Felsgleithörnchens could belong to two different species. The IUCN has this still little-known squirrel " threatened " in the status filed.