Hairy-footed flying squirrel

The hairy-footed flying squirrel (Belomys pearsonii) is a flying squirrel found in the mountains of the eastern Himalaya, Southeast Asia, southern China, and the island of Taiwan. It lives at elevations of 800–2,400 m (2,600–7,900 ft) above sea level.[1]

Hairy-footed flying squirrel
Temporal range: Late Pliocene to Recent

Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Belomys
Thomas, 1908
Species:
B. pearsonii
Binomial name
Belomys pearsonii
(Gray, 1842)
Synonyms

Sciuropterus pearsonii Gray, 1842
Trogopterus pearsonii (Gray, 1842)

The fur is red-brown on the top and white at the bottom. Characteristic are the long hair at the feet, which even covers the claws to protect against the cold in the higher altitudes. The body has a length of about 22 cm; the tail is another 13 cm long.

Taxonomy and systematics

As hairy-footed flying squirrel is related to the complex-toothed flying squirrel, some taxonomists have included the species to the genus Trogopterus. However, its status as distinct genus is now generally accepted.[2] The species is named after John Thomas Pearson.

There are four subspecies: Belomys pearsonii pearsonii, B. m. blandus, B. m. kaleensis, and B. m. trichotis. B. m. kaleensis is endemic to Taiwan. It appears to be genetically distinct from Vietnamese specimens, which themselves represented two distinct lineages (of unknown subspecies). All three lineages are distinct enough to be recognized as separate species.[2]

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References
  1. Molur, S. (2016). "Belomys pearsonii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T2756A22256636. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T2756A22256636.en.
  2. Oshida, Tatsuo; Lin, Liang-Kong; Chang, Shih-Wei; Dang, Can Ngoc; Nguyen, Son Truong; Nguyen, Nghia Xuan; Nguyen, Dang Xuan; Endo, Hideki; Kimura, Junpei; Sasaki, Motoki; Hayashida, Akiko; Takano, Ai (March 2015). "Mitochondrial DNA evidence suggests challenge to the conspecific status of the hairy-footed flying squirrel Belomys pearsonii from Taiwan and Vietnam". Mammal Study. 40 (1): 29–33. doi:10.3106/041.040.0106.
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