The world’s gliding mammals are an extraordinary group of animals that have the ability to glide from tree to tree with seemingly effortless grace. There are more than 60 species of gliding mammals including the flying squirrels from Europe and North America, the scaly-tailed flying squirrels from central Africa and the gliding possums of Australia and New Guinea.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. It is involved in data gathering and analysis, research, field projects, advocacy, and education. IUCN’s mission is to “influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable”.
Species are classified by the IUCN Red List into nine groups, specified through criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area of geographic distribution, and degree of population and distribution fragmentation.
A taxon is Extinct when there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. A taxon is presumed Extinct when exhaustive surveys in known and/or expected habitat, at appropriate times (diurnal, seasonal, annual), throughout its historic range have failed to record an individual. Surveys should be over a time frame appropriate to the taxon’s life cycle and life form.
A taxon is Extinct in the Wild when it is known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalised population (or populations) well outside the past range. A taxon is presumed Extinct in the Wild when exhaustive surveys in known and/or expected habitat, at appropriate times (diurnal, seasonal, annual), throughout its historic range have failed to record an individual. Surveys should be over a time frame appropriate to the taxon’s life cycle and life form.
A taxon is Critically Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it is considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
Petaurus abidi
Biswamoyopterus biswasi
A taxon is Endangered when the best available evidence indicates that it is considered to be facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
Petaurus gracilis
Eupetaurus cinereus
Hylopetes sipora
Iomys sipora Mentawai
Petinomys lugens
Pteromyscus pulverulentus
A taxon is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates that it is considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
Petinomys genibarbis
Petinomys setosus
Petinomys vordermanni
A taxon is Near Threatened when it has been evaluated against the criteria but does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable now, but is close to qualifying or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in the near future.
Aeretes melanopterus
Hylopetes nigripes
Petaurista nobilis
Petinomys fuscocapillus
Trogopterus xanthipes
A taxon is Least Concern when it has been evaluated against the criteria and does not qualify for Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable or Near Threatened. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.
Acrobates pygmaeus
Petaurus australis
Petaurus biacensis
Petaurus breviceps
Petaurus norfolcensis
Petauroides volans
Cynocephalus volans
Galeopterus variegatus
Eoglaucomys fimbriatus
Glaucomys sabrinus
Glaucomys volans
Hylopetes alboniger
Hylopetes phayrei
Hylopetes spadiceus
Iomys horsfieldi
Petaurillus emiliae
Petaurista alborufus
Petaurista elegans
Petaurista leucogenys
Petaurista magnificus
Petaurista petaurista
Petaurista philippensis
Petaurista xanthotis
Petinomys crinitus
Petinomys mindanensis
Pteromys momonga
Pteromys volans
Anomalurops beecrofti
Anomalurus derbianus
Anomalurus pusillus
Idiurus macrotis
Idiurus zenkeri
A taxon is Data Deficient when there is inadequate information to make a direct or indirect assessment of its risk of extinction based on its distribution and/or population status. A taxon in this category may be well studied, and its biology well known, but appropriate data on abundance and/or distribution are lacking. Data Deficient is therefore not a category of threat. Listing of taxa in this category indicates that more information is required and acknowledges the possibility that future research will show that threatened classification is appropriate. It is important to make positive use of whatever data are available. In many cases, great care should be exercised in choosing between Data Deficient and a threatened status. If the range of a taxon is suspected to be relatively circumscribed, and a considerable period of time has elapsed since the last record of the taxon, threatened status may well be justified.
Aeromys tephromelas
Aeromys thomasi
Belomys pearsonii
Hylopetes bartelsi
Hylopetes platyurus
Hylopetes sagitta
Hylopetes winstoni
Petaurillus hosei
Petaurillus kinlochii
Petinomys hageni
Anomalurus pelii
A taxon is Not Evaluated when it is has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.
Eupetaurus sp.
Petaurista albiventer
Petaurista caniceps
Petaurista hainana
Petaurista lena
Petaurista yunanensis
Black Flying Squirrel
Aeromys tephromelas
Sumatran Flying Squirrel
Hylopetes winstoni
Travancore Flying Squirrel
Petinomys fuscocapillus
Hagen’s Flying Squirrel
Petinomys hageni