The Status of Nepal's Mammals: The National Red List Series - IUCN

107) Petaurista petaurista (Pallas, 1766)
Common Names
Red Giant Flying Squirrel (English); Rato Rajpankhi
Lokharke (Nepali)
Synonyms
Sciurus petaurista (Pallas, 1766); Pteromys albiventer
(Gray, 1834); Pteromys inornatus (Geoffroy, 1844);
Pteromys birrelli, Pteromys fulvinus (Wroughton,
1911)
Species Description
Chestnut-red body with long slender tail which
is not bushy. Rounded head and flesh-coloured
nostrils. Belly is buff, and feet are black and furred
although the soles are naked.
Species Ecology
The Red Giant Flying Squirrel occurs in temperate
forests, boreal scrub forests, rocky areas, mountain
peaks and plantations. This species feeds mainly on
fruits and berries.
Little is known about the reproductive parameters
of the species.
Conservation Status
Global: Least Concern
National: Least Concern
Rationale for assessment: This species is considered
Least Concern in view of a broad distribution across
Nepal and presence within several protected areas.
Legal Status
National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029
(1973). This species occurs within protected areas.
National Population Size
There is no information available on the population
size of this species in Nepal.
National Distribution
This species has been reported from Annapurna
Conservation Area, Bardia National Park, Chitwan
National Park, Langtang National Park, Makalu Barun
National Park, Rara National Park and most districts
of the Terai and mid and high hills of central and
eastern Nepal.
Distribution outside Nepal
Afghanistan, Brunei Darussalam, China, India,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand.
Main Threats
• Poaching for fur and pet trade.
• Habitat loss.
References
Suwal and Verheugt 1995, Molur et al. 2005, Baral and Shah 2008,
Nepal Red List of Mammals Field Technicians Workshop 2010.
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