Biology:Particolored flying squirrel
| Particolored flying squirrel | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Genus: | Hylopetes |
| Species: | H. alboniger
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| Binomial name | |
| Hylopetes alboniger (Hodgson, 1836)
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The particolored flying squirrel (Hylopetes alboniger) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China , India , Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
The Himalayan large-eared flying squirrel (Priapomys leonardi) was formerly considered a subspecies of H. alboniger, but phylogenetic analysis revealed that it occupies a completely different place in the taxonomy of flying squirrels, and it as thus classified as a distinct species in its own genus.[2]
Nut Caching
Hylopetes alboniger is one of two squirrels (the other is Hylopetes phayrei electilis that hang elliptical or oblate nuts securely in vegetation. They carve grooves into the nuts, using them to fix the nuts tightly between small intersecting twigs, reminiscent of the mortise-tenon joint in carpentry. Strategically, these cache sites are 10–25 m away from the nearest nut-producing tree, reducing potential theft. This behavior not only ensures secure storage but may also influence the forest's tree distribution.[3]
This storing of nuts contrasts with squirrels in temperate zones that typically do this in ground holes or under leaf litter.
References
- ↑ Duckworth, J.W.; Tizard, R.J.; Molur, S. (2016). "Hylopetes alboniger". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T10600A22244563. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T10600A22244563.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/10600/22244563. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ↑ Li, Quan; Cheng, Feng; Jackson, Stephen M.; Helgen, Kristofer M.; Song, Wen-Yu; Liu, Shao-Ying; Sanamxay, Daosavanh; Li, Song et al. (2021-07-18). "Phylogenetic and morphological significance of an overlooked flying squirrel (Pteromyini, Rodentia) from the eastern Himalayas with the description of a new genus" (in en). Zoological Research 42 (4): 389–400. doi:10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.039. ISSN 2095-8137. PMID 34047079.
- ↑ Xu, Han; Xia, Lian; Spence, John R; Lin, Mingxian; Lu, Chunyang; Li, Yanpeng; Chen, Jie; Luo, Tushou et al. (2023-06-13). "Flying squirrels use a mortise-tenon structure to fix nuts on understory twigs". eLife 12: e84967. doi:10.7554/elife.84967. ISSN 2050-084X. PMID 37309191.
Wikidata ☰ Q785344 entry
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