Abstract
The occurrence of the red giant flying squirrel, Petaurista petaurista, in Lao PDR is confirmed on the basis of a single adult male specimen obtained from an informal food market in Thatlouang village, Xekong Province in the south of the country. This individual was reported to have been collected from close-by Thatlouang in the mixed deciduous forest or dry dipterocarp forest on the Bolaven Plateau. The record extends the known distribution of this species by approximately 700 km eastwards. Information is provided on the external, cranial, dental, and bacular characters of the new Lao specimen. It is compared with the holotypes and/or type descriptions of seven taxa, namely, barroni, candidula, cicur, melanotus, penangensis, taylori, and terutaus, described from mainland Southeast Asia, all of which are currently included in the synonymy of P. petaurista. On the basis of its external pelage colour, the Lao specimen is referred to P. p. barroni, which was described from southeast Thailand and is considered here to be a valid subspecies.
Acknowledgments
In Lao PDR, we thank D. Sanamxay’s family for their support and encouragement. Thanks are also due to the staff of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences, National University of Laos for their help, support, and encouragement. We are grateful to Nouansi Sisompheng for her help in obtaining the specimen. In Thailand, we thank the staff of the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Natural History Museum, Prince of Songkla University for their help. We are also grateful to the staff of the Natural History Museum, National Science Museum Thailand (NHM) for their assistance. In the UK, we thank the staff of the Mammal and Library sections of the Natural History Museum, London, especially Paulina Jenkins and Roberto Portela-Miguez. At the Harrison Institute, Sevenoaks we are most grateful to David Harrison, Malcolm Pearch, Nikky Thomas, and Beatrix Lanzinger for their advice, access to specimens, and provision of literature. Finally, we acknowledge the “2011 Thailand On-Place Scholarship under the ASEA-UNINET Programme for Cambodia and Lao PDR”; Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Graduate School, Prince of Songkla University for their financial support; the Systematics Association, UK for their contribution towards setting up a zoological research collection in the National University of Laos and the Darwin Initiative, UK (Project No: 18002) for their ongoing support of taxonomic training and research in Southeast Asia.
Appendix 1
Specimens of Petaurista petaurista held in the Natural History Museum, London (BM[NH]) and the Natural History Museum (NHM), National Science Museum Thailand (NHM).
Numbers from 1 to 23 in parentheses refer to localities included in Figure 1.
(1) BM(NH).10.10.19.4; Kindat, upper Myanmar, approximately 23° 44′N, 94° 26′E. (2) BM(NH), not registered; Mogaung, Kachin, Myanmar, approximately 25° 18′N, 96° 56′E. (3) BM(NH).15.5.5.40; Kin, Sagaing, Myanmar, approximately 22° 45′N, 94° 41′E. (4) THNHM-M-2344; Khon San, Pa Phu Khieo, Chaiyaphum, Thailand, approximately 16° 31′N, 101° 45′E. (5) THNHM-M-2340; Sakae Rat, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, approximately 14° 36′N, 102° 2′E. (6) BM(NH).47.1472; Hup Bon, Sriracha, Chonburi, Thailand, approximately 13° 7′N, 101° 6′E. (7) BM(NH).14.12.1.5; Bankasun, Tenasserim, Myanmar, approximately 12° 4′N, 99° 1′E. (8) BM(NH).55.1656 and BM(NH).55.1657; Koh Lak, Prachuap Khilikhan Province, Thailand, approximately 11° 47′N, 99° 48′E. (9) BM(NH).49.431; Khok Klap, peninsular Thailand, approximately 8° 53′N, 99° 17′E. (10) BM(NH).10.10.1.79; Nong Thale Song Hong, Trang Province, approximately 7° 51′N, 99° 29′E. (11) BM(NH).55.1649; Koh Klang, Trang Province, Thailand, approximately 7° 21′N, 99° 34′E. (12) NMNH.123.934; Terutau Island, Straits of Malacca, Thailand, approximately 6° 37′N, 99° 40′E. (13) BM(NH).49.433; Penang Island, Malaysia, approximately 5° 27′N, 100° 13′E. (14) BM(NH).5.6.15.1; Larut hills, Perak, Malaysia, approximately 5° 1′N, 100° 53′E. (15) BM(NH).1939.2373; Perak, Malaysia, approximately 4° 48′N, 100° 47′E. (16) BM(NH), not registered; Selangor, Malaysia, approximately 3° 38′N, 101° 30′E. (17) BM(NH).28.7.20.62; Hutan Rizab Semangkok, Selangor-Pahang Boundary, Malaysia, approximately 3° 39′N, 101° 45′E. (18) BM(NH).61.1164; Bukit Pelindong, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia, approximately 3° 50′N, 103° 22′E. (19) BM(NH).22.8.12.2; Kuala Selangor, Malaysia, approximately 3° 20′N, 101° 14′E. (20) BM(NH).61.1163; Ulu Gombak Forest Reserve, Malaysia, approximately 3° 18′N, 101° 46′E. (21) BM(NH).8.1.25.6, BM(NH).8.1.25.7, BM(NH).55.1652, BM(NH).71.2714; Tioman Island, Mersing Johor, Malaysia, approximately 2° 47′N, 104° 10′E. (22) BM(NH).62.192 and BM(NH).85.8.1.118; Gunung Belumut Recreational Forest, Johor, Malaysia, approximately 2° 1′N, 103° 32′E. (23) BM(NH).118.8.14.2; Singapore, approximately 1° 22′N, 103° 48′E.
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