Himalayan Flying Squirrel

Description:

Flying Squirrels are a tribe of 44 species of squirrels. They're not capable of powered flight like birds and bats. They actually glide between trees with the help of the patagium, a furry parachute-like membrane that stretches from wrist to ankle. It has a fluffy tail that stabilizes in flight and acts as air brake before landing on a tree trunk. They're usually nocturnal. This one had a height of about 20 cm and body length about 30 cm with an equally long tail.

Habitat:

Thick forest in a marshy area with human settlements in the lower regions. Altitude about 6,000 ft..

Notes:

This flying squirrel was spotted by us on a night while camping by an artificial lake (at a place called Hee-Gaun in West Sikkim) during an angling meet. Our attention was drawn to a group of dogs frantically barking, and they're in fact attacking this poor creature which was thoroughly wet in the cold water. While gliding to its destination, she perhaps mis-judged the distance and fell into the lake, somehow managed to come out but only to find among these vicious dogs. After some photos, I managed to cover it with a bamboo basket, coaxed it slowly towards the campfire, warmed it all around for a good 30 minutes, once dry guided it to an open area and let it go. It simply hopped onto a nearby tree, climbed it and glided away to freedom. It's a satisfying feeling!