Petaurista petaurista 117philippensis grandis, which occurs on Taiwan, to be a subspe-
cies of P. petaurista.
size: Female—HB 380.3 mm; T 493.3 mm; Mass 1405.3 g.
Male—HB 381.2 mm; T 432.2 mm; Mass 1264.3 g.
Sex not stated—HB 378.9 mm; T 459.1 mm; Mass 2004.0 g.
distribution: This species’ range extends from extreme
eastern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, and northern India
(in Kashmir and Punjab) along the edge of the Himalayas
and then from eastern Nepal and eastern India (Assam) to
Tibet and the southern Chinese provinces of Yunnan, Si-
chuan, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Fujian, possibly the island
of Taiwan, and south through Myanmar, Thailand, penin-
sular Malaysia, Sumatra and Java (Indonesia), and the island
of Borneo (divided among Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam,
and Indonesia).
geographic variation: Eighteen subspecies are recog-
nized. Records for extreme eastern Afghanistan, and for the
area extending from northern Pakistan and northern India
(in Kashmir and Punjab) along the edge of the Himalayas
and then from eastern Nepal and eastern India (Assam) to
Tibet, are identifi ed only at the species level.
P. p. petaurista—Preanger regencies, West Java (Indonesia).
See description above.
P. p. albiventer—Pakistan and Yunnan (China). This form
has a well-defi ned blackish eye ring, white throat, and
black color on the distal third of the tail. The rest of the
tail is bright bay. The cheeks are rufous. The underparts
are ochraceous buff , deepening to rufous on the pata-
gium (“wing”).
P. p. batuana—Batu Islands, Sumatra (Indonesia). This form
is similar to P. p. nitidula, but P. p. batuana is slightly
larger. Its total length is 825 mm, and the head and body
measurement is 405 mm.
P. p. candidula—Kindat (upper Myanmar). This form is paler,
and the back is heavily washed with white.
P. p. cicur—northeastern Malay Peninsula. This subspecies
is similar to other forms found on the Malay Peninsula,
but the black areas of pelage are more extensive, and the
hairs on the back have a distinct black tip.
P. p. interceptio—Mount Tjerimai, West Java (Indonesia).
This form is similar to P. p. petaurista, but P. p. intercep-
tio’s back is more rufous and less buff. The upper surface
of the tail is pure rufous at the base, with the distal end
being black.
P. p. lumholtzi—central region of Kalimantan (Indonesia),
on the island of Borneo. The general color is deep ferru-
ginous bay, though this is much lighter on the posterior
half of the body. Beside and below the eye it is distinc-
tively black. Above the eyes it is a pinkish cinnamon that
continues backward, with a deepening color to the ears.
The black tuft behind the ears is small and ill defi ned.
The underparts are bright cinnamon rufous.
P. p. marchio—Sumatra (Indonesia). This form is similar to P.
p. nitidula, but P. p. marchio has a slightly larger ear, and
the reddish brown upperparts are paler. The dorsal color
is relatively dark, a deep rufous chestnut. The dorsal
hairs have black tips.
P. p. melanotus—China, possibly Laos, and the southern Ma-
lay Peninsula (Thailand and Malaysia). This form is simi-
lar to P. p. cicur, but on P. p. melanotus the black-tippedPetaurista petaurista. Photo courtesy Kalyan Varma.