专栏名称: CHINADAILY

China Daily’s Wechat account provides China news, in-depth reports, analysis, photos, and information for expats.

我国科研人员在西藏发现两种罕见飞松鼠

CHINADAILY · 公众号 · 时评 · 2024-11-03 11:50

正文

Chinese researchers have discovered two rare species of flying squirrels, Priapomys leonardi and Petaurista nobilis, in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, according to the Kunming Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Thursday.

The Bhutan giant flying squirrel (Petaurista nobilis), which is one of the largest in its family of flying squirrels, and the Himalayan large-eared flying squirrel (Priapomys leonardi) were observed and specimens collected during fieldwork in 2022 and 2023.

▲ 图为不丹大鼯鼠曾祥乐摄

Designated as a "Near-threatened" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Bhutan giant flying squirrel was documented in China for the first time, noted Li Quan, an associate researcher at the Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The Himalayan large-eared flying squirrel, previously known to inhabit only the northwestern part of Yunnan Province and northern Myanmar, is now officially recorded in Xizang, according to Li.

▲ 图为李氏小飞鼠曾祥乐摄

This discovery extends the known distribution range of both species and underscores the rich biodiversity of the Himalayan region, according to researchers.

The findings were published in the mammalogy journal Acta Theriologica Sinica in September.

Source: Xinhua