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Order : RODENTIA
Family : Sciuridae
Species : Aeromys tephromelas
Head-Body Length : Up to
42 cm
Tail Length : Up to 50 cm
Weight : Up to 900 grams
Flying Squirrels possess a
supple skin flap which extends from the length of the body to all four feet
: this allows them to glide effortlessly from tree to tree. They are
exclusively arboreal, spending their lives mainly in the high canopy of tall
forests, and generally nocturnal. By day they rest in tree holes.
The Large Black Flying Squirrel is amongst the largest of the many species
of flying squirrel. Its dorsal fur is dark brown to black, and the underside
is dark brown to dark grey. The head is small and the tail long.
The species ranges from southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia to Sumatra
and parts of northern Borneo. It does not occur in Singapore.
Figs 1 and : Specimen in the canopy of tall, mixed forest next to a rural,
public
road passing through a forest reserve in Peninsular Malaysia.
Fig 3 : Example peering out
from its nesting hole in a tall, dead tree in the late afternoon.
References : M2, M3
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