118 Petaurista petauristadorsal hairs are reduced in number and confi ned to the
mid-dorsal line down the shoulders and back. The upper-
parts are rufous or burnt sienna.
P. p. nigrescens—Sabah (Malaysia), from the forests around
Sandakan Bay north of Sungai (= stream) Kinabatangan.
This form can be distinguished from P. p. rajah and P. p.
lumholtzi by its much darker dull coloration. The nose tip,
chin, eye ring, postauricular patch, extremities, and tip
of the tail are black; the rest of the upperparts are dark
cinnamon brown. The underparts are dull cinnamon
brown. The proximal portion of the tail is dull cinnamon
brown.
P. p. nigricaudatus—East Java (Indonesia). The general color
of the tail is black, with the subbasal portions of the tail
hairs being ferruginous maroon. The ears are dark chest-
nut, and it has an extensive black orbital eye ring. The
feet and hands are black, with the black color continuing
along the margins of the uropatagium (an extension of
the “wing”).
P. p. nitidula—Natuna Islands (Indonesia). This form is simi-
lar to P. p. petaurista, but P. p. nitidula is smaller in size.
P. p. penangensis—Telok Bahang, Penang Island (Malaysia).
This form is similar to P. p. melanotus, but P. p. penangen-
sis is smaller in size.
P. p. rajah—eastern Sarawak (Malaysia). The pelage color is
intermediate between P. p. melanotus and P. p. marchio,
with black tips on the dorsal hairs. It has dark orbital
rings. The ears are relatively shorter, with the backs of
the ears heavily tufted with black hairs, forming a con-
spicuous black patch on each side.
P. p. rufi pes—Sichuan, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Fujian
(China). The dorsal surface and the tail are a tawny or
ferruginous glossy color, and there is a slight darkening
on the nape and mid-dorsal area, caused by a slight black-
ening of the hair tips. It has a narrow black eye ring and
a small dull brown spot on the chin. The entire under-
part of the body is pinkish rufous or ochraceous salmon,
deepening to “tawny” at the border of the patagium.
P. p. stellaris—Bontang (= Bintan) Island (Rhio [= Riau] Archi-
pelago, Indonesia). This form is similar to P. p. batuana,
but P. p. stellaris is less blackened on the upperparts, and
paler on the cheeks and muzzle. The tail and underparts
are paler, less rufous and more cinnamon.
P. p. taylori—southern Tenasserim (Myanmar). The tail is
dirty whitish.
P. p. terutaus—Pulo Terutau (= Pulau Tarutao), off the west
coast of peninsular Thailand. This form is similar to P. p.
nitidula, but in P. p. terutaus the top of the head has a gray-
ish wash, there is a slight buff y wash on the sides of
body, and there is a more extensive black portion on the
distal end of the tail.conservation: IUCN status—least concern. Population
trend—decreasing.habitat: The red giant fl ying squirrel is found in a variety
of forests—wet tropical lowlands (southern India), montane
temperate forests (Pakistan), and hardwood forests (Taiwan)—
but it is often reported to prefer evergreen broadleaf and
coniferous forests. It also frequently occurs in plantations
and orchards. This species appears fairly resilient to forest
fragmentation, and it tends to show higher densities in
smaller fragments than in larger stands.Petaurista petaurista. Photo courtesy David Bakewell.