Formosan giant flying squirrel
Its body is covered in reddish-brown fur, but is slightly lighter along the belly and darker along the tail. Slightly smaller than the Taiwan red and white giant flying squirrel, it weighs around 1,300 grams. Traces of its activity can be found at elevations from 100-2,500 meters above sea level. However, it is more often seen at low to medium elevations. This species mostly inhabits the canopy of broad-leaved and mixed forests. It is the most widely distributed flying squirrel species in Taiwan, inhabiting tree cavities during the day and active among the treetops at night. Due to its distinct call and its tendency to stay still when a light is shone on it, it is easy to observe at night and a target for hunters. The Formosan giant flying squirrel is an arboreal folivore. Leaves account for more than 70% of its diet. It also eats fruits and flower buds, as well as gnaws on bark and occasionally eats insects. Currently, as many of the natural forests at low to medium elevations have been cleared, the Formosan giant flying squirrel has been forced to adapt to artificial forest environments and has turned to eating bark with reports of resulting damage to trees.
Text/Chen Yan-Jun, Chen Mu-Xuan
Photo/Huang Xiao-Ting
