Hose's Pygmy Flying Squirrel
Petaurillus hoseiSummary 1
The Hose's Pygmy Flying Squirrel (Petaurillus hosei) is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It was named for zoologist Charles Hose. It is endemic to Malaysia.
Habitat 2
There was not any specific information found on the habitat of P. hosei but, as are most flying squirrels, Hose's pygmy flying squirrels are highly arboreal. These squirrels have only been found in lowland forest types and are reported to use tree cavities as nest holes.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest
Physical description 3
Species in the genus Petaurillus are the smallest of the flying squirrels, with head and body length ranging from 68 to 89 mm and tail length from 62 to 98 mm. Hose's pygmy flying squirrels have large eyes and ears. The body is similar to that of all flying squirrels, with a flat hairy tail and a gliding membrane that extends between the fore and hindlimbs, called a patagium. Patagia increase the surface area of these squirrels, enabling gliding. A cartilaginous extension of the wrist bones assists in spreading the patagia. Flying squirrels have five digits on their hind limbs and four digits on their forelimbs, each digit has a long claw at the end, which assists in climbing trees. Hose's pygmy flying squirrels have dark dorsal fur and white ventral surfaces. They have a white spot behind each ear and pale or buffy colored cheeks. The tail is brown with a white tip. The teeth are not complex.
Range mass: 68 to 89 g.
Range length: 62 to 98 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sources and Credits
- Adapted by Brian Martin from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petaurillus_hosei
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18665552
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18665553
