Wildlifeof Sri Lanka
Common Giant Flying Squirrel
Squirrels & Rodents
Photo: Pieter Prins · CC BY-SA 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Petaurista philippensis
Basic stats
Diet
Mainly fruit, especially Ficus racemosa; also bark, resin, shoots, leaves and insects
Size
About 43cm body, tail 50-52cm
The giant flying squirrel is a large, nocturnal, arboreal species that spends most of its life in the canopy. Head and body length is about 43 cm, with a tail of 50 to 52 cm, and nests are made in tree hollows lined with bark, fur, moss and leaves (Yapa and Ratnavira 2013, as reported on Wikipedia).
It is mainly a fruit eater, preferring Ficus racemosa fruit, and also takes bark, tree resin, shoots, leaves, insects and larvae (Nandini and Parthasarathy 2008, as reported on Wikipedia, a study outside Sri Lanka). It is sociable when food is plentiful but aggressive when it is scarce (Yapa and Ratnavira 2013). Nationally Endangered (Sri Lanka National Red List 2012).
Quick answers
- What does the Common Giant Flying Squirrel eat?
- Mainly fruit, especially Ficus racemosa; also bark, resin, shoots, leaves and insects
- How big is the Common Giant Flying Squirrel?
- About 43cm body, tail 50-52cm