The Zoochat Photographic Guide to Rodents: part one

[Chlidonias]

Aeromys
Two species, one of which is represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Black Flying Squirrel Aeromys tephromelas
Two subspecies: phaeomelas, tephromelas


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.


Thomas' Flying Squirrel Aeromys thomasi
Monotypic


Photo by @Yassa in the wild, Sabah (Malaysian Borneo)

Identification help needed | ZooChat

 

[Chlidonias]

Belomys
One species


Hairy-footed Flying Squirrel Belomys pearsonii
Two subspecies: blandus, pearsonii


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.

 

[Chlidonias]

Biswamoyopterus
Three species


Namdapha Flying Squirrel Biswamoyopterus biswasi
Monotypic.

Known from only one specimen, collected in India's Namdapha National Park in 1981. Accounts of sightings of live wild animals are apparently mistaken identities for Red Giant Flying Squirrels Petaurista petaurista


Mount Gaoligong Flying Squirrel Biswamoyopterus gaoligongensis
Monotypic

Known only from two specimens collected in 2017 and 2018, and some additional wild observations, in the area of Mount Gaoligong in Yunnan, China. The species was described in 2019.


Laotian Giant Flying Squirrel Biswamoyopterus laoensis
Monotypic

Known only from meat markets in Laos. The species was first discovered in 2012 and described in 2013.


Not surprisingly, there are no photos of these three species in the Zoochat galleries.

 

[Chlidonias]

Eoglaucomys
One species


Kashmir Flying Squirrel Eoglaucomys fimbriatus
Two subspecies: baberi, fimbriatus


Taxonomic note: formerly placed in the genus Hylopetes, as two separate species (Afghan Flying Squirrel H. baberi and Kashmir Flying Squirrel H. fimbriatus).


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.

 

[Chlidonias]

Eupetaurus
One species


Woolly Flying Squirrel Eupetaurus cinereus
Monotypic


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.

 

[Chlidonias]

Glaucomys
Three species, two of which are depicted here.


Southern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys volans
Eleven subspecies: chontali, goldmani, guerreroensis herreranus, madrensis, oaxacensis, querceti, saturatus, texensis, underwoodi, volans


Photo by @Patzookeep in the wild, Tennessee (USA) (subspecies saturatus I think)

Flying Squirrel | ZooChat


Photo by @Giant Eland at Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium, USA (subspecies volans)

southern flying squirrel or the assapan (Glaucomys volans volans) 2010 | ZooChat


Photo by @Giant Eland at the Organization for Bat Conservation (OBC), USA (unknown subspecies)

2013: OBC | ZooChat


Northern Flying Squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus
Twenty-four subspecies: alpinus, bangsi, californicus, canescens, coloratus, columbiensis, flaviventris, fuliginosus, fuscus, goodwini, gouldi, griseifrons, klamathensis, lascivus, latipes, lucifugus, macrotis, makkovikensis, murinauralis, reductus, sabrinus, stephensi, yukonensis, zaphaeus


Photo by @Giant Eland at the Maine Wildlife Park (USA) (probably the subspecies macrotis as their animals are mostly local)

Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) - ZooChat


Humboldt's Flying Squirrel Glaucomys oregonensis
Monotypic

Taxonomic note: formerly treated as a subspecies of Glaucomys sabrinus, split in 2017 on genetic evidence. The distributions of the two species are largely exclusive, but they do occur together without hybridisation at a few localities.


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.

 

[Chlidonias]

Hylopetes
Nine species, only two of which are represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Particolored Flying Squirrel Hylopetes alboniger
Three subspecies: alboniger, chianfengensis, orinus


Photo by @Giant Eland at Moscow Zoo, Russia (unknown subspecies)

(Hylopetes alboniger) Particoloured flying squirrel | ZooChat


Sipora Flying Squirrel Hylopetes sipora
Monotypic


Both photos below by @LaughingDove in the wild, Indonesia

Sipora Flying Squirrel Hylopetes sipora - Siberut - ZooChat

Sipora Flying Squirrel Hylopetes sipora - Siberut - ZooChat


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Bartels' Flying Squirrel Hylopetes bartelsi
Monotypic

Grey-cheeked Flying Squirrel Hylopetes lepidus
Monotypic. Also may be considered a subspecies of Hylopetes spadiceus.

Palawan Flying Squirrel Hylopetes nigripes
Two subspecies: elassodontus, nigripes

Indochinese Flying Squirrel Hylopetes phayrei
Two subspecies: electilis, phayrei

Jentink's Flying Squirrel Hylopetes platyurus
Monotypic

Red-cheeked Flying Squirrel Hylopetes spadiceus
Two subspecies: caroli, spadiceus

Sumatran Flying Squirrel Hylopetes winstoni
Monotypic. Known from only one specimen, and may be conspecific with Hylopetes bartelsi.

 

[Chlidonias]

Iomys
Two species, both of which are represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Javanese or Horsfield's Flying Squirrel Iomys horsfieldi
Four subspecies: davisoni, horsfieldii, penangensis, thomsoni


Photo by @Dr. Wolverine in the wild, Singapore (subspecies davisoni)

Horsfield's Flying Squirrel ~ Old Upper Thomson Road - ZooChat



Mentawai Flying Squirrel Iomys sipora
Monotypic


Both photos below by @LaughingDove in the wild, Indonesia

Mentawai Flying Squirrel Iomys sipora - Siberut - ZooChat

Mentawai Flying Squirrel Iomys sipora - Siberut - ZooChat

 

[Chlidonias]

Petaurillus
Three species, none of which are represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Lesser Pigmy Flying Squirrel Petaurillus emiliae
Monotypic

Hose's Pigmy Flying Squirrel Petaurillus hosei
Monotypic

Selangor Pigmy Flying Squirrel Petaurillus kinlochii
Monotypic

 

[Chlidonias]

Petaurista
At least nineteen species, of which nine are represented in the Zoochat galleries.

Several species in this genus, notably P. petaurista and P. philippensis, are almost certainly species complexes. P. elegans has already been split into four species. There has been considerable confusion in the past - and even still, to a lesser extent - as to which species different forms belong, with subspecies being moved back and forth between two or more species.



Chestnut Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista albiventer
Monotypic.

Taxonomic note: split from the Red Giant Flying Squirrel P. petaurista which is a species complex.


Photo by @J I N X in the wild, Pakistan

Red giant flying squirrel - Ayubia National Park 22/8/2020 - ZooChat


Red and White Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista alborufus
Four subspecies: alborufus, castaneus, leucocephalus, ochraspis

Taxonomic note: the former subspecies lena of Taiwan has been split as a full species.


Photo by @Giant Eland at Beijing Zoo, China (by colouration, I think this would be subspecies alborufus)

red and white giant flying squirrel (Petaurista alborufus) | ZooChat


Photo by @baboon in the wild, China (subspecies castaneus)

Red-and-white giant flying squirrel at Saltlick | ZooChat


Photo by @Deer Forest at Quinhuangdao Wildlife Zoo, China, showing the size (subspecies castaneus). Note that the yellow "claws" are actually claw-caps to stop the animal scratching people when being handled.

red and white giant flying squirrel | ZooChat


Photo by @Zooish at Singapore Night Safari, Singapore, showing flight (unknown subspecies; I think the park calls them castaneus but they seem to be of mixed origins, and at least the ones for which I've seen good photos [e.g. by Joel Satore] are clearly not castaneus)

Giant Flying Squirrel, Night Safari | ZooChat


Grey-headed Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista caniceps
Monotypic

Taxonomic note: split from the Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel P. elegans which was a species complex.


Photo by @baboon in the wild, China

Gray-headed Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista caniceps) | ZooChat


Spotted or Lesser Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista elegans
Four subspecies: banksi, elegans, punctatus, sumatrana

Taxonomic note: the former subspecies caniceps, marica, and sybilla - all of mainland southeast Asia - have been split, leaving this current species restricted to the Thai-Malaysian peninsula and the Greater Sunda islands.


Photo by @Giant Eland at the PCBA (at Taman Safari II - Prigen), Indonesia (nominate Javan subspecies elegans)

spotted giant flying squirrel (Petaurista elegans) - ZooChat


Photo by @LaughingDove in the wild, Peninsular Malaysia (subspecies punctatus)

Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel - Fraser's Hill | ZooChat


Taiwan Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista grandis
Monotypic.

Taxonomic note: split from the Indian Giant Flying Squirrel P. philippensis which was a species complex.


Photo by @ronnienl in the wild, Taiwan

Formosan Giant Flying Squirrel - ZooChat


Taiwan Red and White Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista lena
Monotypic.

Taxonomic note: split from the Red and White Giant Flying Squirrel P. alborufus.


Photo by @ronnienl in the wild, Taiwan

Taiwan Giant Flying Squirrel - ZooChat

 

[Chlidonias]

Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista leucogenys
Four subspecies: hintoni, leucogenys, nikkonis, oreas


Photo by @Sicarius at Hirakawa Zoo, Japan (subspecies leucogenys)

Southern Japanese giant flying squirrel (Petaurista leucogenys leucogenys) - ZooChat


Photo by @Sicarius at Tama Zoo, Japan (subspecies nikkonis)

Northern Japanese giant flying squirrel (Petaurista leucogenys nikkonis) - ZooChat


Photo by @Giant Eland at Inokashira Park Zoo, Japan, showing the size (subspecies nikkonis)

Japanese giant flying squirrel (Petaurista leucogenys) | ZooChat


Photo by @Sicarius at Asa Zoo, Japan (subspecies oreas)

Central Japanese giant flying squirrel (Petaurista leucogenys oreas) - ZooChat



Red Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista petaurista
Eighteen subspecies are recognised by Wilson and Reeder (Mammal Species of the World): albiventer, batuana, candidula, cicur, interceptio, lumholtzi, marchio, melanotus, nigrescens, nigricaudata, nitidula, penangensis, petaurista, rajah, rufipes, stellaris, taylori, terutaus

Taxonomic note: almost certainly a species complex. The subspecies albiventer has already been split as a full species and is treated separately in this thread.


Photo by @devilfish at Monster World Pattaya, Thailand (unknown subspecies. It seems to match well enough with barroni, the type locality for which was just north of Pattaya. This subspecies is not listed by Wilson and Reeder, but is recognised by other authors)

Red giant flying squirrel, June 2013. | ZooChat


Photo by @Yassa in the wild, Sabah (Malaysian Borneo) (subspecies nigrescens)

Identification help needed | ZooChat


Photo by @Giant Eland at Taman Safari Bogor, Indonesia (probably the nominate Javan subspecies petaurista)

red giant flying squirrel (Petaurista petaurista) | ZooChat



Indian Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista philippensis
Five subspecies: annamensis, cineraceus, lylei, mergulus, philippensis

Taxonomic note: probably still a species complex. The former subspecies grandis, hainana and yunanensis have already been split as full species.


Photo by @Giant Eland at Dusit Zoo, Thailand (unknown subspecies, perhaps annamensis)

Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis) | ZooChat


Photo by @devilfish at Singapore Night Safari, Singapore (Vietnamese subspecies lylei)

Indian giant flying squirrel, July 2016 | ZooChat

 

[Chlidonias]

The remaining species of Petaurista are not represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Hainan Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista hainana
Monotypic. A split from P. philippensis.

Hodgson's Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista magnificus
Monotypic

Mainland Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista marica
Monotypic. This species is a split from the Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel P. elegans which is now restricted to the Malaysian peninsula and Greater Sunda islands. It doesn't seem to have been given a common name as yet, so I just added "Mainland" to it. It is likely to contain further cryptic species.

Mechuka Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista mechukaensis
Monotypic. Described in 2007 from Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Mishmi Hills Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista mishmiensis
Monotypic. Described in 2009 from Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Bhutan Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista nobilis
Two subspecies: nobilis, sanghei

Mebo Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista siangensis
Monotypic. Described in 2013 from Arunachal Pradesh, India.

Chindwin Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista sybilla
Monotypic. A split from P. elegans.

Chinese Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista xanthotis
Monotypic.

Yunnan Giant Flying Squirrel Petaurista yunanensis
Monotypic. A split from P. philippensis.

 

[Chlidonias]

Petinomys
Nine species, one of which is represented in the Zoochat galleries.



Siberut Flying Squirrel Petinomys lugens
Monotypic


Photo by @LaughingDove in the wild, Indonesia

Siberut Flying Squirrel Petinomys lugens - Siberut - ZooChat


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Basilan Flying Squirrel Petinomys crinitus
Monotypic

Travancore Flying Squirrel Petinomys fuscocapillus
Monotypic

Whiskered Flying Squirrel Petinomys genibarbis
Monotypic

Hagen's Flying Squirrel Petinomys hageni
Monotypic

Mindanao Flying Squirrel Petinomys mindanensis
Monotypic

Arrow Flying Squirrel Petinomys sagitta
Monotypic

Temminck's Flying Squirrel Petinomys setosus
Monotypic

Vordermann's Flying Squirrel Petinomys vordermanni
Monotypic

 

[Chlidonias]

Pteromys
Two species, both of which are represented in the Zoochat galleries.


Siberian Flying Squirrel Pteromys volans
Four subspecies: athene, buechneri, orii, volans


Photo by @Giant Eland at Tierpark Schonebeck, Germany (European/Russian subspecies volans)

Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) | ZooChat


Photo by @Deer Forest at Chengdu Zanhuayuan Zoo, China (possibly the subspecies buechneri which is found naturally in northeastern China and Korea, although as the species is sold in the pet-trade in China it could also be an imported P. v. volans)

Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) | ZooChat


Japanese Dwarf Flying Squirrel Pteromys momonga
Monotypic


Photo by @Giant Eland at Ueno Zoo, Japan

Japanese dwarf flying squirrel (Pteromys momonga) | ZooChat

 

[Chlidonias]

Pteromyscus
One species


Smoky Flying Squirrel Pteromyscus pulverulentus
Two subspecies: borneanus, pulverulentus


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.

 

[Chlidonias]

Trogopterus
One species


Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel Trogopterus xanthipes
Monotypic


There are no photos of this species in the Zoochat galleries.

 

[Brum]

I'm loving this thread, probably because I love squirrels!

This must be one of the more difficult threads as there are hundreds (if not over a thousand) pictures of different rodents in the galleries, and those without scientific names must be quite hard to pin down to specific species?

 

[Chlidonias]

I'm loving this thread, probably because I love squirrels!

This must be one of the more difficult threads as there are hundreds (if not over a thousand) pictures of different rodents in the galleries, and those without scientific names must be quite hard to pin down to specific species?

I love squirrels too. I'm better with Asian squirrels than the Neotropical ones though, just due to familiarity. (Luckily the next part of this thread is the Callosciurinae, which are all Asian).

Rodents are a real mission - there are photos with no scientific names, mistaken IDs (usually the fault of the zoo's labelling), sometimes even with no name at all. I have to check each one to make sure it's correctly labelled just in case it's something different that I don't have yet (and I don't always get it correct myself, of course, because I'm only all-seeing not all-knowing). Also I'm that dumb that I decided to stick with the idea of identifying as many as possible to subspecies, which is, shall we say, "frustrating" when it comes to the taxonomic tangles that rodents are in.

 

[Brum]

(and I don't always get it correct myself, of course, because I'm only all-seeing not all-knowing)

It's nice to know that even the all-seeing one has his flaws!

Also I'm that dumb that I decided to stick with the idea of identifying as many as possible to subspecies, which is, shall we say, "frustrating" when it comes to the taxonomic tangles that rodents are in.

Yeah, you have caused yourself a lot more work. And we haven't even got to Muridae yet, I'm not up on mice and rats but if they are even half as complicated as the squirrels then damn, you've just lost a lot of free time!

 

[Chlidonias]

Yeah, you have caused yourself a lot more work. And we haven't even got to Muridae yet, I'm not up on mice and rats but if they are even half as complicated as the squirrels then damn, you've just lost a lot of free time!

Yep, no more travelling for me for a while!