Hodgson's giant flying squirrel

Hodgson's giant flying squirrel (Petaurista magnificus) is a large nocturnal flying squirrel of the Himalayan region. It lives in tropical, subtropical and temperate broadleaf forests at elevations from about 400 to 3,700 metres, though most records come from 1,500 to 2,700 metres, and its range covers Nepal, Bhutan, southern Tibet and the Indian states of Sikkim, northern West Bengal and much of Arunachal Pradesh. Adults weigh roughly 1.35 to 1.8 kilograms and have golden or cream shoulders, reddish chestnut upperparts and a black-tipped reddish brown tail. The species was described by Brian Houghton Hodgson in 1836 and was long confused with the Bhutan giant flying squirrel. At dusk it glides up to about 100 metres between trees, feeding on nuts, young leaves, buds, flowers and insects. The IUCN rates it Least Concern, although numbers are thought to be falling because of habitat loss, hunting and capture for the pet trade.