Laotian giant flying squirrel

The Laotian giant flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus laoensis) is an arboreal, flying squirrel endemic to Laos. It was the second described member in the genus Biswamoyopterus, after being first collected in September 2012 by scientists researching the animal corpses in the semi-legal Thongnami bushmeat market, Ban Thongnami, Pakkading District, Bolikhamxai Province.

Laotian giant flying squirrel
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Biswamoyopterus
Species:
B. laoensis
Binomial name
Biswamoyopterus laoensis
Sanamxay, Douangboubpha, Bumrungsri, Xayavong, Xayaphet, Satasook & Bates 2013[1]

Description

Biswamoyopterus laoensis has reddish, grizzled fur with white above. Its crown is pale grey, its patagium is orangish and its underparts are white.

Biswamoyopterus laoensis has one of the greatest lengths in the squirrel family, with a body length of 0.46 m (18 in) and a tail length of 0.62 m (24 in), for a total length of 1.08 m (43 in), along with a mass of 1.8 kg (4.0 lb).[2][3] This is slightly larger than the one other Biswamoyopterus species, B. biswasi, known from a single sample found in India in 1981.

References
  1. Sanamxay, Daosavanh; Douangboubpha, Bounsavane; Bumrungsri, Sara; Xayavong, Sysouphanh; Xayaphet, Vilakhan; Satasook, Chutamas & Bates, Paul J. J. (2013). "Rediscovery of Biswamoyopterus (Mammalia: Rodentia: Sciuridae: Pteromyini) in Asia, with the description of a new species from Lao PDR". Zootaxa. 3686 (4): 471–481. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3686.4.5.
  2. Prostak, Sergio (2013-09-06). "Biswamoyopterus laoensis: New Species of Flying Squirrel from Laos". Sci-News. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
  3. Kimbrough, Liz (2013-08-06). "Scientists discover new flying mammal in bushmeat market". Mongabay. Retrieved 2016-08-12.
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