| Citation |
Duckworth, J.W. 2016. Petaurista petaurista (errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T16723A115138344. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T16723A22272173.en. Downloaded on 13 July 2021. |
Description |
JUSTIFICATION
Assessed as Least Concern because it is a widespread species that is abundant in suitable habitat. While habitat conversion is occurring in unprotected parts of its, range the species occurs in numerous protected areas and is not experiencing significant decline within those protected areas; and it still occurs widely outside protected areas, e.g. in many logging concessions.
RANGE DESCRIPTION
This widely distributed species has been recorded from northern South Asia, southern China and Southeast Asia. This species has a large distribution in South Asia, being recorded from eastern Afghanistan, northern Pakistan, eastern Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and northern and North-east India at elevations of 500 to 3,100 m asl (Molur et al. 2005). In China, it has been recorded from Yunnan, Sichuan, Fujian, Guangxi and Guangdong (Smith and Xie 2008). In Southeast Asia, it is found on the mainland from Myanmar in the west, into western Thailand, southern Lao PDR (Sanamxay et al. 2015), Cambodia (J.W. Duckworth pers. comm. 2016), and south to Peninsular Malaysia. It is widely distributed in insular Southeast Asia on the island of Sumatra and Java (both to Indonesia) and Borneo (Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia). There are few known localities in Thailand, Lao PDR and Cambodia (Sanamxay et al. 2015), but whether this represent a genuinely highly patchy distribution or under-recording is not yet clear; by contrast, it is the common large Petaurisa of the Sundaic subregion (J.W. Duckworth pers. comm. 2016).
DESCRIPTION
It is often a locally common to abundant species.
HABITAT AND ECOLOGY
It is an arboreal and nocturnal species. Across its large range, it uses a wide range of forest types: some of those occupied in one part of the range areeschewed in another, hindering an overall profile of its range-wide habitat use. It occurs in lowland to highland moist evergreen broadleaf forest, temperate forest in the northern part of it range, coniferous forests, scrub forest, rocky areas as inland cliffs, mountain peaks (Molur et al. 2005; Smith and Xie 2008). In Lao PDR and Cambodia, the few known records come from deciduous forest (Sanamxay et al. 2015, J.W. Duckworth pers. comm. 2016).
THREATS
Habitat conversion due to logging, agriculture, dam construction, infrastructure development and urbanization is occurring throughout the range of the species. It has been harvested for the pet and fur trade in South Asia (Molur et al. 2005). However, none of these phenomena pose a threat to the species, only to populations at the localised level.
USE AND TRADE
It is hunted for food and clothing.
CONSERVATION ACTIONS
This species is present in many protected areas (eg. Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh, India). This is considered to be a species complex for which taxonomic revision is needed. Once this has occurred, surveys to define the range of the constituent units, and monitoring of any of those which might be at risk, will be needed. |
