Japanese giant flying squirrel
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| phylum | Chordata | Like other flying squirrels it has a web of skin between its legs which it uses to glide between trees. Glides of 160 metres have been recorded. The tail is used for stability during flight. The body is about 25–50cm long, and the tail a further 30–40cm. It weighs between 700 and 1500g. It is much larger than the related Japanese dwarf flying squirrel which does not exceed 220g.
The squirrel is endemic to the islands of Honshū, Kyūshū and Shikoku in Japan and in Guangzhou in China. It eats fruit and nuts and lives in holes in large trees. The female has a home range of about a hectare and the male about two hectares. For more information, visit the Wikipedia entry. Get back to Flying squirrel |
| class | Mammalia | |
| infraclass | Eutheria | |
| order | Rodentia | |
| family | Sciuridae | |
| genus | Petaurista | |
| species | P. leucogenys |
