What is Travancore?
Pettinomys Fuscocapillus, also known as the Travancore flying squirrel, is a species of flying squirrel that may be found in South India and Sri Lanka. It is also known as the tiny flying squirrel. Travancore flying squirrels were considered to be extinct until they were rediscovered in Kerala in 1989 after a 100-year hiatus had elapsed. In Sri Lanka, it was discovered for the first time in 78 years. The animals were only detected in the island’s wet-zone and intermediate zones, with only a few sightings in the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, according to the researchers.
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Petinomys
Species: P. fuscocapillus
Binomial name: Petinomys fuscocapillus
Description
The total length of the head and body is 32 cm. The length of the tail is 25–29 cm. Dorsally, it is a reddish-brown color. Underparts are grayish-brown with a rosy hue to them. The tail is feather-shaped and reddish-brown in color, with a blackish undersurface on the underside. The membrane behind the hind leg is relatively tiny. Vibrissae is a dark color. The dorsal fur is exceptionally silky, long, and sheen-like.
Subspecies
There are two subspecies, which are as follows:
Western Ghats of Peninsular India – Petinomysfuscocapillusfuscocapillus (Jerdon, 1847) –
Petinomysfuscocapilluslayardi (Kelaart, 1850) is a species of Petinomys found in Sri Lanka.
Ecology
They are rare, nocturnal animal that consumes a frugivorous diet. They have been observed eating bark, shoots, and leaves, as well as insects.
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