Pteromys
| Old World flying squirrels Temporal range: Late Pliocene - Recent |
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|---|---|
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| Japanese dwarf flying squirrel, Pteromys momonga | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Tribe: | Pteromyini |
| Genus: |
Pteromys G. Cuvier, 1800 |
| Species | |
Pteromys volans
Pteromys momonga
Commonly referred to as simply the Old World flying squirrels, the genus Pteromys is distributed across temperate Eurasia, Korean Peninsula and Japan. Although there are a host of flying squirrel genera in Asia (particularly southern Asia), Pteromys is the only one present in Europe.
These large-eyed animals are nocturnal and use a membrane stretching from their wrists to ankles in order to glide from tree to tree. They can glide up to 443 feet (135 m) and have a long flat tail. They feed on nuts, seeds, fruit, buds, bark, and insects.
There are two species in this genus:
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Wikipedia