122 Petaurista philippensisresponse to such calls, these fl ying squirrels are often seen,
as well as heard producing alarm calls. Larger-bodied owls
are assumed to be important predators, but details on preda-
tion attempts are not available. Humans also hunt this spe-
cies for food and medicinal purposes throughout its range.
A new species of the nematode genus Breinlia (B. petaurista)
is reported from P. philippensis.
general references: Babu and Jayson 2009; Chowattu-
kunnel and Esslinger 1979; Kuo and Lee 2003; Nameer et al.
2001; Nandini and Parthasarathy 2008; A. T. Smith and Xie
2008; Sridhar et al. 2008; Walston, Duckworth, and Molur
2008b; Xiang et al. 2004; Yu, Yu, Pang, et al. 2006.
Petaurista xanthotis
(Milne-Edwards, 1872)
Chinese Giant Flying Squirrel
description: The soft pelage of P. xanthotis is grayish yel-
low. Overall, the dorsal color is dark. The guard hairs are
black at the base and whitish at the distal end. The throat is
white, and the venter is gray. The patagium (“wing”) is
marked with an orange margin. The long tail has black and
orange hairs. The feet are black, and the legs are orange.
size: Female—HB 353.0 mm; T 340.0 mm.
Male—HB 407.7 mm; T 341.7 mm.
Sex not stated—HB 440.5 mm; T 379.1 mm; Mass 965.0 g.
distribution: The Chinese giant fl ying squirrel is endemic
to China, where it is restricted to western and central
China (including eastern Tibet and Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan,
Yunnan, and Shanxi provinces).geographic variation: Three subspecies are recognized.P. x. xanthotis—Sichuan (China). The head and body are griz-
zled gray. The feet are blackish. There is a pale ochra-
ceous spot at the inner base of the ear, and an orange spot
behind the ear. The sides of the muzzle are white.
P. x. buechneri—Gansu to Sichuan (China). The general color
of the dorsal surface is light grayish yellow to brownish
yellow, blended with dark brown black.
P. x. fi lchnerinae—Gansu (China). The feet are lighter brown.
The back and tail show more white, gray, and black. This
subspecies is similar to P. leucogenys, except for the ab-
sence of white stripes on the head and throat.conservation: IUCN status—least concern. Population
trend—no information.habitat: P. xanthotis is reported from coniferous (e.g.,
spruce [Picea]) montane forests, such as those in the Tibetan
Plateau and the central provinces of China.natural history: Previously thought to be a subspecies
of the Petaurista leucogenys complex, in 1992 Petaurista xan-
thotis was reclassifi ed as a distinct species, based primarily
on its more complex cheek teeth and the absence of a white
streak below the ears. Molecular phylogenetic analyses (mi-
tochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences) confi rm that P.
xanthotis is not included with other Petaurista, and that it is
a distinct species from P. leucogenys. Similarly, more recent
studies also confi rm that P xanthotis is a distinct species, al-
though they also suggest a close, but unresolved, relation-
ship with P. petaurista. This nocturnal cavity nester is usu-
ally found at around 3000 m. Its diet includes shoots, leaves,
and pine nuts. It does not hibernate, and it reproduces in the
summer. The litter size is usually two.general references: Corbet and Hill 1992; McKenna
1962; Oshida 2006; Oshida, Shafi que, et al. 2004; A. T. Smith
and Johnston 2008b; A. T. Smith and Xie 2008; J. Wang 2000;
Yu, Yu, Pang, et al. 2006.