Woolly Flying Squirrel

Bizarre, Gigantic and Extinct

The woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus) is one of the most bizarre, specialized, and least-known members of the squirrel family (Sciuridae). It is the longest squirrel in the world (four feet from nose to tail tip) and has a tooth structure that is unique to the family. It appears to feed primarily on conifer needles, lives in high mountain cliff caves, and may be extremely rare. Previous to our field work almost nothing was known about this enigmatic species – it had last been recorded in 1924 and many experts were of the belief that it was extinct.

WCS Research on the Woolly Flying Squirrel

In 1994, however, our team captured a live woolly flying squirrel and remains of other specimens during survey efforts in northern Pakistan. Research was conducted in 1995 and 1996 and five more squirrels were captured. Physical data about Eupetaurus cinereus were recorded, some of which were new (weight, number of teats) or disputed previous claims (tail length, sharpness of claws). Two squirrels were radiocollared and information was gathered over the next few years concerning the species’ habits and behavior. 
 From this field work, coupled with observations of captive specimens, capture sites, and local interviews, we concluded that the woolly flying squirrel is a nocturnal, cliff-dwelling sciurid that uses caves or rock crevices as diurnal refuges. In northern Pakistan the squirrel is found between 2,400 and 3,600 m in elevation. Fecal sample analysis from four squirrels indicated that these squirrels had been feeding mostly or entirely on pine needles, an extremely unusual diet for a mammal and one that may explain the squirrel’s unusual tooth structure. Gliding, vocalizations, and other behaviors also were documented.

Gliding Into the Future

The woolly flying squirrel’s distribution appears to be centered in Diamer and southern Gilgit Districts, in side valleys of the central Indus River valley in northern Pakistan. It appears to live in a fragmented habitat within a very limited area in a thin elevational band of dry conifer woodland. This region is under heavy pressure from deforestation and overgrazing, and in 1997 it was estimated that the rate of clearcutting at that time meant that most montane woodland in this area would be effectively destroyed by anthropogenic activities within as little as a decade. Since research suggested that habitat destruction was the most immediate threat to the survival of the woolly flying squirrel, WCS launched a community conservation initiative, the Northern Areas Conservation Project (see Community Conservation ). This project is aimed at helping local communities protect the high mountain pine forest ecosystem that the woolly flying squirrel depends upon for its survival.