File:Pteromys_volans_292232567.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
The Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) is a small, nocturnal rodent found in forests across northern Europe and Asia that glides between trees using a membrane of skin stretched between its limbs. It matters because it serves as an indicator of old-growth forest health and is studied to understand how forest fragmentation affects wildlife populations.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Species
Least ConcernPteromys volans
SPECIES
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassMammalia
- OrderRodentia
- FamilySciuridae
Maximum longevity: 11.4 years (captivity)
via GBIF · IUCN
Museum specimens
- Specimen records
- 84
- With media
- 3
- Family
- Sciuridae
- Collections
- MSB, UWBM, MVZ, RBINS-SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE, UAM, AMNH
- Recorded in
- Japan, Russia, Finland, United States, Kazakhstan
~4 min read
Encyclopedic overview
The Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) is an Old World flying squirrel ranging from the Baltic Sea in the west, throughout Northern Asia to the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the east. It is the only species of flying squirrel in Europe and is considered vulnerable in the European Union where it occurs only in Estonia and Finland. In Latvia, it was last sighted in 2001 and has been considered to be locally extinct since 2013.
Description
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Pteromys volans” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.