Little information has been found in regards to communication and perception of Indian giant flying squirrels. However, having larger eyes in relation to body size implies highly developed vision, which is used in their nocturnal activities. Similar flying squirrels also have well adapted hearing, touch, and smell, as many other arboreal nocturnal species. Other flying squirrel species have vibrissae on their chin, cheeks, and ankles that help them navigate at night. Many others communicate by auditory, visual, and chemical cues, such as for reproduction, although currently, there is no data available specific to Indian giant flying squirrels.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Currently, Petaurista philippensis is listed by the IUCN as a species of least concern. This is possibly due to their widespread distribution, common in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, as well as their adaptability to environments with human impacts, such as logging sites.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
Little information was found on their economic importance; however, this species could become problematic when they occupy plantations.
Negative Impacts: crop pest
Little information was found on the economic importance of this species; however, this species may be a good seed disperser.
Although they are primarily folivorous, they do consume other plant materials, which could contribute to seed dispersal. However, this species has been known to occupy plantations and could be a potential pest.
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds
Species Used as Host:
Mutualist Species:
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
A diet typical of this species consists mostly of, but not limited to, fruits and leaves of ficus trees. Unlike other flying squirrels, they do not eat insects or other animal matter. Indian giant flying squirrels are folivorous, however, they will also eat bark, fruit, leaves, flowers, and sometimes lichens. Most frequently, they consume ficus fruits, which are an easily accessible source of energy. They are rich in calcium, minerals, low in fat content, and a possible source of animal protein, as provided by larvae of fig wasps. Indian giant flying squirrels prefer mature leaves to immature leaves. More mature leaves are consumed in February and December, when ficus trees do not have such a high abundance of fruit. Feeding is more common along the edge of the forest, where light affects plant physiology. A greater abundance of light results in greater leaf production. It is not yet known whether they consume more ficus fruits or mature leaves.
Indian giant flying squirrels can also be found within plantations, where two thirds of their diet consists of ficus and jackfruit. This species is also known to be opportunistic at exploiting food resources in disturbed areas where logging occurs. The ability to consume leaf material, bark, and even sap at impacted sites indicates that Indian giant flying squirrels are tolerant to habitat disturbances.
Plant Foods: leaves; wood, bark, or stems; fruit; flowers; sap or other plant fluids; lichens
Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore , Frugivore )
Indian giant flying squirrels (Petaurista philippensis) have a wide distribution in Asia. This species can be found in South Asia, the mainland of Southeast Asia, and central and southern China. In South Asia they have a patchy distribution in Sri Lanka and India, primarily concentrated in the Himalayan Mountains and northeast regions north of Bombay and Rajastan. They have a wide range on the mainland of Southeast Asia; however, they are not present on the Malay Peninsula. China has recorded sightings in Yunnan, Hainan Island, Sichuan, and Shaanxi. Indian giant flying squirrels can also be found on the island of Taiwan.
Biogeographic Regions: oriental (Native )
Indian giant flying squirrels are arboreal, nocturnal mammals that live in tree cavities and the tree canopy. They live in deciduous and evergreen forests of South Asia, hardwood forests of Taiwan, and large patches of forests on Hainan Island, where the species is currently thriving. This species can be found in elevations between 100 to 2,500 meters, which includes vegetation zones of: tropical rainforest or subtropical rainforest (0 to 500 m), temperate broad leafed forest (500 to 1,800 m), and temperate mixed forest (1,800 to 2,500 m). These creatures can most often be found on the edges of forests, or within plantations among their primary food source, fig trees.
Range elevation: 100 to 2,500 m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest
The lifespan of Indian giant flying squirrels has not yet been documented. However, the longest known living specimen was alive at age 11 in captivity. Other giant flying squirrels in Asia live an average of 6 years in the wild and 10 to 15 years in captivity. The difference between these rates is believed to represent the important role flying squirrels play as prey to other animals.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 6 years.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 11 (high) years.
Indian giant flying squirrels have a patagium extending from their wrists to their ankles; similar to the well recognized northern flying squirrels, which help them glide on air currents from tree to tree. Even with amazing gliding abilities, they prefer short gliding distances because longer distances require broader landing platforms, which are not always available and the density of the forest may also prohibit lengthy glides. A wide range of pelage color can be seen between the sexes and the location of sightings. Most coloration includes a variation of dark maroon to black dorsal pelage with white tips, sometimes giving a grey hue and a lighter brown to white on their ventral side. At birth, Indian giant flying squirrels weigh approximately 56 grams; adults can weigh up to 1.65 kilograms. Males generally weigh about 1,260 grams and females weigh approximately 1,334 grams. In a study investigating sexual dimorphism, the skull of Indian giant flying squirrels showed little difference between the sexes.
Range mass: 0.056 to 1.65 kg.
Average mass: 1.65 kg.
Average length: 1 m.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
To avoid being detected by predators, flying squirrels glide and immediately move to the other side of the tree on which they land. Their most common predators are large owls. Other predators include arboreal snakes, raccoons, martens, fishers, and domestic house cats, all of which prey mainly on juvenile flying squirrels. Black crested gibbons (Nomascus concolor jingdongensis) are a newly discovered predator. These endangered primates have been seen reaching into nests, pulling out juvenile flying squirrels and swinging them by the tail to kill them against trees and rocks. Once the gibbon kills the squirrel, the carcass is eaten and shared with the gibbon's offspring. Most predation occurs on juvenile squirrels; however, gibbons do attack adults, usually unsuccessfully.
Known Predators:
Little is known about the mating system of P. philippensis. Due to the location and home range size of the males, data suggests a polygynous or promiscuous mating system. During the mating season, the male may alter his diet and activities to cope with reproduction, by spending more time finding a mate and less time eating. Adult flying squirrels have two annual breeding seasons; one occurring from February to March and the second from July to August. Breeding lasts for two weeks, females mate with an average of 3 to 5 males.
Mating System: polygynous ; polygynandrous (promiscuous)
Breeding occurs in two seasons, February to March and July to August, each breeding cycle lasts two weeks. Females mate with several males and produce at least one offspring per season. A litter of two has been recorded; however, documentation is rare. After breeding, gestation occurs for approximately 46 days. Live young are born within the tree cavity the squirrel occupies and they are only raised by their biological mother. Offspring are completely weaned after three months and at 95 days old, male offspring become independent, while at 185 days old female offspring are independent.
Breeding interval: P. philippensis has two breeding seasons a year.
Breeding season: Breeding season occurs during February to March and July to August.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 2.
Average number of offspring: 1.
Average gestation period: 46 days.
Average weaning age: 3 months.
Range time to independence: 95 to 185 days.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
Young flying squirrels are raised by their mother, only until they become independent at 95 to 185 days old.
Parental Investment: precocial ; female parental care
The Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis), also called the large brown flying squirrel or the common giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is capable of gliding flight using a skin membrane stretched between front and hind legs. It is found in mainland Southeast and South Asia, and southern and central China.
This is a large species, with a head and body length of about 43 cm and a tail of 50–52 cm. It has black to gray-brown fur, long and soft on the upper parts and somewhat shorter underneath the body, with a grizzled appearance. A wing membrane between the forelimb and hindlimb, paler coloured underneath, allows gliding between trees. The tail is hairy and blackish to gray-brown, the feet are black, and the nose is pale pink with black vibrissae.[2]
Its taxonomy is very complex and not fully resolved. Up until the 1980s, some authorities even listed the Indian giant flying squirrel itself as a subspecies of the red giant flying squirrel (P. petaurista).[3] In 2005, Mammal Species of the World included grandis, yunanensis, hainana, nigra, rubicundus and rufipes (last four as synonyms of yunanensis) in the Indian giant flying squirrel.[4] Later studies have confirmed that all these are distinct and not closely related to the Indian giant flying squirrel; placing them together would result in a strongly polyphyletic "species".[5][6][7][8] As a consequence, recent authorities have generally recognized them as part of the red giant flying squirrel or as their own species; the Formosan giant flying squirrel (P. grandis) of Taiwan, Hainan giant flying squirrel (P. hainana) of Hainan, and Yunnan giant flying squirrel (P. yunanensis) in northeastern India, south-central China, Myanmar, northern Laos and northern Vietnam (the extent of its range in the last three countries is labelled with considerable uncertainty).[3][9][10] The Formosan and Hainan giant flying squirrels have fully separate ranges, but the Yunnan giant flying squirrel is sympatric with the Indian giant flying squirrel.[6][9]
The species is native to China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. It inhabits dry deciduous and evergreen forest, usually at higher elevations from 500–2,000 m (1,600–6,600 ft) and has been recorded on plantations.[1]
The Indian giant flying squirrel is nocturnal and arboreal, spending most of its life in the canopy. Nests are made in tree hollows lined with bark, fur, moss, and leaves. The species is sociable when food is abundant, but intraspecies attacks increase with food scarcity. Vocalizations are similar to those of the spot-bellied eagle-owl.[2]
The species is mainly frugivorous, preferring the fruits of Ficus racemosa, followed by Cullenia and Artocarpus heterophyllus. It also takes bark, tree resins, shoots, leaves (particularly of F. racemosa), insects, and larvae. Squirrels were shown to be somewhat tolerant of disturbance when foraging, and to exploit food resources at the forest edge, including exotic planted species.[11]
Female gives birth to a single offspring during mid June. Pups born blind, with a head that is disproportionately large when compared with the body.[2]
The Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis), also called the large brown flying squirrel or the common giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is capable of gliding flight using a skin membrane stretched between front and hind legs. It is found in mainland Southeast and South Asia, and southern and central China.
