Hylopetes phayrei

124.

Indochinese Flying Squirrel

Hylopetes phayrei

French: Polatouche de Phayre / German: Phayre-Gleithornchen / Spanish: Ardilla voladora de Indochina

Other common names: Phayre's Flying Squirrel

Taxonomy. Sciuoptera [sic] phayrei Blyth, 1859,

“Rangoon, Myanmar.”

Two subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

H.p.phayreiBlyth,1859—SEChina(Guizhou,GuangxiandFujianprovinces),NEIndia(EbordersofNagalandandManipur),Myanmar,N&WThailand(StoChumphonProvince),Laos,andN&WVietnam.

H. p. electilis G. M. Allen, 1925 — Hainan I,

China.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 144-197 mm,tail 128-174 mm; weight 113-189 g. This species is the smallest flying squirrel in China. It has flattened tail, reddish or grayish brown dorsal pelage, white cheeks, white marks behind ears, and whitish ventral pelage with faint yellow wash. Dorsum of subspecies electilis is uniform pale cinnamon.

Habitat. Mixed deciduous and lowland montane forests.

Food and Feeding. The Indochinese Flying Squirrel feeds on cultivated fruit at night.

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. Indochinese Flying Squirrels are nocturnal and nest in tree cavities.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. In China, the Indochinese Flying Squirrel is regionally Red Listed as vulnerable. It is present in Diaoluoshan, Jianfengling, and Bawangling reserves and may be present in other protected areas. Current population is stable, and no major threats are recognized. More research on natural history and ecology of is needed to promote effective conservation.

Bibliography. Jackson (2012), Jackson & Thorington (2012), Jantarat et al. (2014), Smith & Yan Xie (2008), Thorington et al. (2012).