Rare flying squirrel species found in China's Xizang

KUNMING -- Chinese researchers have discovered two rare species of flying squirrels, Priapomys leonardi and Petaurista nobilis, in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, according to the Kunming Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Thursday.

The Bhutan giant flying squirrel (Petaurista nobilis), which is one of the largest in its family of flying squirrels, and the Himalayan large-eared flying squirrel (Priapomys leonardi) were observed and specimens collected during fieldwork in 2022 and 2023.

Designated as a "Near-threatened" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Bhutan giant flying squirrel was documented in China for the first time, noted Li Quan, an associate researcher at the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The Himalayan large-eared flying squirrel, previously known to inhabit only the northwestern part of Yunnan Province and northern Myanmar, is now officially recorded in Xizang, according to Li.

This discovery extends the known distribution range of both species and underscores the rich biodiversity of the Himalayan region, according to researchers.

The findings were published in the mammalogy journal Acta Theriologica Sinica in September.