Spotted giant flying squirrel

The spotted giant flying squirrel (Petaurista elegans), also called the lesser giant flying squirrel, is a rodent in the squirrel family that lives in hill and mountain forests from Southeast Asia north to central China and the eastern Himalayan region, at altitudes from about 200 to 4,000 metres. Although large for a flying squirrel, with a head and body of roughly 30 to 40 centimetres, a long tail and a weight of 0.76 to 1.56 kilograms, it is the smallest of the giant flying squirrels in its range. It is named for the white spots on the upperparts of many populations, though some lack them. It is nocturnal and glides long distances between trees on the membrane between its limbs, spends the day in a tree hollow, feeds on fruits, seeds, leaves, buds and flowers, and bears one or occasionally two young. Several northern populations are sometimes treated as separate species, and its taxonomy remains unsettled.