Discovered a new species of rare flying squirrel in China

Chinese researchers found a very rare flying squirrel in Yunnan with only a few individuals observed in nature.

The study published July 18 in ZooKeys describes a specimen belonging to a new flying squirrel, found in the collection of the Kunming Zoological Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.This flying squirrel belongs to the genus Biswamoyopterus , the most mysterious and rarest flying squirrel.

This flying squirrel belongs to the genus Biswamoyopterus, the most mysterious and rarest flying squirrel.

Previously, researchers only identified two species of the genus Biswamoyopterus in southern Asia, including the Namdapha flying squirrel in India and the giant flying squirrel in Laos. Each species was identified from a specimen discovered in 1981 and 2013 respectively.

The Chinese team collected new specimens on the Cao Cao Mountain in Yunnan Province, southwest China. At first, they thought the animal was an extremely dangerous Namdapha flying squirrel. However, squirrels have many different characteristics in color as well as morphology of the skull and teeth. After that, scientists conducted field surveys and found another squirrel. They added the third species to the genus Biswamoyopterus and named it the flying squirrel Le Cao Cong mountain.

"The newly discovered species in the empty area stretches 1,250km between isolated habitats of two known species," said Li Quan, a member of the research team.

Flying squirrels have a special membrane between the front and hind legs, allowing them to hover through the air between the tops of the trees. They rely on foot movement to change direction, and the tail acts as a brake to help them land on the stop.

1. This animal's fur is dazzling pink under UV light and this is why it is so special