Woolly Flying Squirrel: Here’s the thing: Flying squirrels don’t actually propel themselves through the air. Instead, they glide, held aloft by their patagium (the parachute-like skin that entwines between their limbs). The delicate action of flight, especially without self-propulsion, is easier for small rodents, which is why most flying squirrels are between 5 and 12 inches long. The woolly flying squirrel, however, is an outlier among its peers. Standing two feet tall, its bushy tail extends an additional two feet from its body. Nevertheless, the squirrel manages to gracefully “fly” through the air, although it was only recently launched back into our awareness. After being extinct for more than 70 years, two nature lovers from upstate New York rediscovered the woolly flying squirrel in northern Pakistan in 1995. The mystique surrounding this species of squirrel extends further. beyond her decades-long absence and her ability to fly: in some Pakistani subcultures, her urine is supposed to be an aphrodisiac and her crying is said to herald the death of a loved one.
The giant red flying squirrel (Petaurista petaurista), which is considered to be very common, lives at an altitude of 1350 m to 3050 m in the humid temperate forest of the Himalayas, Muree Hills, Neelum Valley, southern part of Kaghan Valley. , in eastern Swat, Lower Chitral Cedar Forest and parts of Dir.
The small Kashmiri flying squirrel (Hylopetes fimbriatus), considered vulnerable, occurs in Himalayan humid temperate deciduous and coniferous forests, spruce forests in Gilgit, Kohistan region, southern Chitral, Dir, Swat, Muree Hills, Hazara and Azad Kashmir.
The woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus) is endangered. It is undoubtedly one of the rare mammals in the world and its current distribution is not known with certainty.
The Belour Social Development and Advisory Organization (BASDO), a local NGO and member of IUCN, the World Conservation Union, active in the northern areas since 1989 for the conservation of nature and natural resources, is currently collecting scientific data on this endangered species in the framework of a project. , titled “Conservation of Biodiversity in Woolly Flying Squirrel Unique Habitat Sites in Northern Areas, Pakistan”, funded by UNDP/GEF/SGP.
According to the information collected by BASDO, the animal has been seen by local communities at an altitude of 1600m to 3800m in the high mountains of Hindukush (Sai Nallah, Sekwar Nallah, Jutial Nallah, Barmas Nallah, Naupura Nallah and Kargah Nallah ). in Gilgit Singul, Gupis, Karumber valley in Ishkoman and Yasin valleys). In the Himalayas it has been found in Chilas, the Nanga Parbat forest in Diamir district and in the Karakoram range in Naltar, Hunza, Shimshal and Nagar.
According to BASDO field ecologist Abdulla Bai, he has seen it at an altitude of 2600m in Jutial Nallah, south of Gilgit town.
The length of this grey-colored species from nose to tail is about 3 feet, and its tail is about 1.6 feet long. Its weight is from 1.5 to 2 kg. A thick type of wool with soft fur is on the body and tail. The hairs are straight and silky.
The preferred food of this species is the needles of Blue Pine, Chilghoza Pine, Deodar, Juniper and Spruce trees. It is nocturnal and glides from mountain to mountain, lives in steep mountain caves/holes. An elastic flying membrane is attached to its flanks.
Professor ZBMirza, a renowned biologist and author of several books on wildlife, including Mammals of West Pakistan and Illustrated Handbook of Animal Biodiversity of Pakistan, first collected a specimen of this species in 1963 from the Sai Valley, about 30 kilometers from Gilgit on a mountain spur. of the Hindukush range, between the Gilgit River and the Indus River.
This specimen was housed in the zoological collections of Punjab University. It has also been described in Professor Mirza’s book.
There are three more specimens of this species in the world.
Threats to this species include habitat degradation due to large-scale logging, as well as the clearing of large numbers of junipers and other conifers, which are also trees protected by the 1923 Forest Law, for firewood.
It is vulnerable to predators and humans, since the local population is unaware of the importance of this species.