Namdapha Flying Squirrel

The Namdapha flying squirrel has reddish, grizzled fur with white above and a pale grey crown; its patagium is orangish and its underparts are white. Its cheek teeth are simple, and its incisors are unpigmented. Septae are multiple in auditory bullae and sometimes honeycomb-shaped with 10 to 12 cells in it. It measures 40.5 cm (15.9 in) from head-to-vent and has a 60 cm (24 in) long tail. The hindfoot is 7.8 cm (3.1 in), and the ear is 4.6 cm (1.8 in) long.

The Namdapha flying squirrel is endemic to Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India. It inhabits tall Mesua ferrea jungles, often on hill slopes in the drainage basin area of Dihing River, particularly on the western slope of Patkai range in northeastern India. In April 2022, a putative Namdapha flying squirrel was recorded in Arunachal Pradesh. To prove its validity, the researchers are planning to collect fecal samples for identification of DNA. Field observations suggest that the Namdapha flying squirrel primarily feeds on young leaves and shoots in the upper canopy of subtropical evergreen forests, indicating a folivorous diet closely tied to mature forest habitat. This canopy-dependent feeding behavior highlights the importance of intact old-growth trees and continuous canopy cover for its survival, as these provide both food resources and gliding pathways.