P. petaurista Skull Replica measures 3.0 inches. P. petaurista Skull is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Known as Red Giant Flying Squirrel. Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum skull exhibit, home décor skull, or office décor skull.
The Red Giant Flying Squirrel is a species of flying squirrel, found in northern South Asia, southern China and Southeast Asia. It is a dark red color with black extremities and can grow to a head-and-body length of 17 in.
The tail is long and provides stability when it glides between trees. It is nocturnal, feeding mainly on leaves, fruits, nuts, and occasionally insects.
The P. petaurista faces no particular threats apart from ongoing destruction of suitable habitat. It has a wide range and is relatively common.
It is native to Asia, its range extending from Afghanistan, into northern India and Pakistan through to Java, and Taiwan. It can also be found in parts of Borneo. This species was recorded in Peninsular Malaysia, included Penang, Tioman Island and also Singapore.
The P. petaurista or Giant Flying Squirrel has a distinctive, thickly haired flying membrane that extends from its wrists to its hind legs and is further expanded by a skin fold between the tail root and the hind legs. This membrane is composed of sheets of muscles that can be tensed or relaxed at will, thus controlling the direction of glide. There is a large spur on the edge of this membrane that helps to support it.
They are among the largest flying squirrels and longest squirrels. It has a head–and–body length of 11 in. – 1 ft 9.5 in., tail length of 1 ft 1.5 in. – 2 ft 1 in. and weighs about 2.2–7.1 lb. Within each region, males are generally somewhat smaller, at least in weight, than females.
It is characterized by its dark red coloring and large eyes. When compared to other species of squirrels, this species is large, being on average 17 in. long, with a long slender tail. The entire body is dark reddish except for black on nose, chin, eye-ring, behind the ears, feet and tail tip.
The P. petaurista feeds primarily on conifer cones, leaves and branches, and, when in season, fruits and nuts, and occasionally insects. It is able to glide for long distances.
They usually travel between trees by long glides, up to at least 330–490 ft. Most glides are no longer than 160 ft.
Glides are most often launched from the upper tree canopy, less often the mid or lower canopy. The squirrel lands well below its launch height, as the typical glide angle is about 14–22°. Landing heights generally are more than 10 ft. above the ground and typically much higher.
They typically have 2-3 young per litter and wean them after about 2.5 months. The concealed nest is made by the mother. Mating is believed to occur twice a year and the young are generally born between early March and early August. The lifespan of these squirrels can be up to 16 years in captivity.