Hylopetes spadiceus 103Hylopetes sipora Chasen, 1940
Sipora Flying Squirrel
description: The tail is almost completely dull brownish
black, paler at the base and white at the tip, and not mark-
edly bicolored. This species has dark brown hands and feet.
The ventral surface is buff to orange buff , and there is a
white patch on the chest. Chasen did not describe the dorsal
coloration.
size: Sex not stated—HB 140.0 mm; Mass 89.2 g.
distribution: The Sipora fl ying squirrel is found only on
Sipora Island (Indonesia), southwest of Sumatra in the Men-
tawai Archipelago.
habitat: H. sipora is a lowland species that resides in pri-
mary tropical and subtropical forests.
geographic variation: None.
conservation: IUCN status—endangered. Population
trend—decreasing.
natural history: Populations of H. sipora are reported to
be declining, primarily as a result of deforestation for agri-
culture and wood products. Little is known about the pre-
cise distribution and ecology of this species.
general references: Baillie and Groombridge 1996; He-
aney 2008; Meijaard 2003a; Ruedas et al. 2008b; R. W. Thor-
ington and Hoff mann 2005.Hylopetes spadiceus (Blyth, 1847)
Red-Cheeked Flying Squirreldescription: This small fl ying squirrel is orange brown on
the head and back; the cheeks are orange; the throat is
white. The dorsal surface of the gliding membrane is black;
the tail is blackish, with an orange brown or buff base. The
feet are reddish brown, and the ventral surface is creamy
white.Hylopetes spadiceus. Photo courtesy Nick Baker, http://www.eco
logyasia.com.