Squirrels of the World

(Rick Simeone) #1
104 Hylopetes spadiceus

size: Female—HB 146.4 mm; T 129.1 mm; Mass 78.0 g.
Male—HB 142.0 mm; T 118.1 mm; Mass 70.9 g.
Sex not stated—HB 147.9 mm; T 125.8 mm; Mass 75.9 g.


distribution: The red-cheeked fl ying squirrel extends
south from Myanmar to Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, In-
donesia—on Sumatra (including Bangka Island), Kundur Is-


land, and Bunguran Island (in the northern South China
Sea)—and the island of Borneo (divided among Malaysia,
Brunei Darussalam, and Indonesia). It also occurs in Laos
and South Vietnam. This species has a relatively wide distri-
bution and is thought to be more common than records in-
dicate, especially on the island of Borneo.

geographic variation: Three subspecies are recognized.

H. s. spadiceus—peninsular Malaysia.
H. s. everetti—island of Borneo (divided among Malaysia,
Brunei Darussalam, and Indonesia).
H. s. sumatrae—Sumatra (Indonesia).

conservation: IUCN status—least concern. Population
trend—no information.

habitat: This species is found in a wide range of habitats—
from primary forests to degraded and cultivated forests—at
elevations below 1500 m. It occurs in several protected
areas.

natural history: Little is known about the population
ecology and behavior of H. spadiceus. An extended history of
inconsistencies regarding the nomenclature of H. spadiceus
with H. lepidus and H. platyurus has resulted in confusion
over both the number of species of Hylopetes and the biogeo-
graphical factors that infl uenced these three species of Hy-
lopetes in the region of Sumatra, Java, the island of Borneo,

Hylopetes spadiceus. Photo courtesy Nick Baker, http://www.ecologyasia.com.


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