Mainland Red-and-white Giant Flying Squirrel

The red and white giant flying squirrel has been called the largest flying squirrel, although a few other species match at least some of its dimensions. Its head-and-body length is 35–58 cm (14–23 in) and its tail is 43–61.5 cm (16.9–24.2 in) long. Little data is available on the weight of individuals from China. Although one source specifically lists 1,231 to 1,930 g (2.71–4.25 lb) for the mainland population, this is based on a study of animals from Taiwan. One red and white giant flying squirrel weighed 4,290 g (9.46 lb), by far the highest reported for any gliding mammal, but whether this is normal for the mainland population is unclear. Other flying squirrels with similar maximum head-and-body and total lengths, the Bhutan giant flying squirrel, red giant flying squirrel and woolly flying squirrel, have reported maximum weights between c. 2,500 and 3,200 g (5.5–7.1 lb). Red and white giant flying squirrels from Taiwan, which are smaller than those from China, range from 885 to 1,930 g (1.95–4.25 lb), and average for both sexes is slightly above 1,500 g (3.3 lb). In China, red and white giant flying squirrels have dark rufous-red upperparts with a large buff or straw-coloured patch on the lower back. The throat and head are white, often with a large rufescent patch around each eye, and the underparts are orange-brown. …

There are several subspecies of the red and white giant flying squirrel. As traditionally defined, China is inhabited by P. a. alborufus (Gansu, Shaanxi and west Sichuan), P. a. castaneus (Chongqing, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, eastern Sichuan, Shaanxi and Yunnan), P. a. leucocephalus (Xizang) and P. a. ochraspis (Guangxi and Yunnan), and Taiwan has P. a. lena. However, records from Gansu, as well as Qinghai, likely are misidentifications of Chinese giant flying squirrels. The status of the red and white giant flying squirrel in other countries is less clear. One source lists P. a. leucocephalus for northern Myanmar (Burma), and another P. a. ochraspis for northern Myanmar, but the species' presence in this country remains unconfirmed, although it has been confirmed from parts of China that are directly adjacent to northern Myanmar. P. a. leucocephalus has also been listed for Bhutan and Assam, India, but other authorities do not list the species for either country. The isolated Taiwanese P. a. lena has a distinctive appearance and genetic studies have shown that it is closer to several other giant flying squirrel species than the red and white giant flying squirrel in China. As a consequence, it has been recommended that it should be recognized as a separate species, the Taiwan giant flying squirrel (P. lena). …