Namdapha flying squirrel  (Biswamoyopterus biswasi)

Description

The wonderfully peculiar Namdapha flying squirrel is the only species in the genus Biswamoyopterus (2). Like other flying squirrels, the most distinctive feature of this species is the furred, muscular membrane that extends along the sides of the body, from the front limbs to the hindlegs. This unique membrane acts as a parachute when the animal leaps from a tree, and once in the air, the squirrel can steer by moving its limbs and tail, and altering the tension in the membrane (3). The thick, soft pelage is red, grizzled with white, on the back, and white on the underparts. The fur covering the small hands and feet are darker. The Namdapha flying squirrel’s bushy tail is pale smokey-grey at the base, turning wine red, then reddish-brown and finally clove brown at the tip. At the base of each ear are tufts of long hair (2).

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