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Context

• ‘Rediscovery’ of the endangered Namdapha Flying Squirrel has raised hope.

About

• The Namdapha flying squirrel (Biswamoyopterus biswasi) is an arboreal, nocturnal flying squirrel endemic to Arunachal Pradesh.

Appearance

• Biswamoyopterus biswasi has reddish, grizzled fur with white above. Its crown is pale grey, its patagium is orangish and its underparts are white.
• The cheek teeth of B. biswasi are simple, and its incisors are unpigmented. Septae are multiple in auditory bullae and sometimes honeycomb-shaped with 10 to 12 cells in it.
• It measures 40.5 cm (15.9 in) from head-to-vent and has a 60 cm (24 in) long tail. The hindfoot is 7.8 cm (3.1 in) and the ear is 4.6 cm (1.8 in).

Habitat

• The known habitat is tall Mesua ferrea jungles, often on hill slopes in the catchment area of Dihing River (particularly on the western slope of Patkai range) in northeastern India.

Status

• The Namdapha flying squirrel is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.

Threats

• It is threatened by poaching of animals for food from within the park, and possibly by habitat destruction.
• It is among the 25 "most wanted lost" species that are the focus of Re: wild's "Search for Lost Species" initiative.

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