Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel

Fascinating facts about the Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel

• It weighs up to 1,500 g (53 oz) and its tail is 30–40 cm (12–16 in) long, and the tail is used for stability during flight.
• Females have a home range of about 1 hectare (2.5 acres) and males about two hectares (4.9 acres).
• Males seal the deal with a sticky coitus plug that hardens after ejaculation, blocking rival sperm and boosting fertilization chances; yet a clever male can also pull it out. This biochemical tug-of-war highlights an unexpected arms race happening inside a tiny forest glider.
• Gestation lasts about 74 days and one or two young are born in early autumn.

At a glance

About the Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel

The Japanese giant flying squirrel (Petaurista leucogenys) has a body length of 25–50 cm and a tail of 30–40 cm, weighing 700–1,500 g. It has a patagium, a web of skin between its fore- and hind-limbs, that lets it glide up to 160 metres (520 ft). It lives in sub-alpine and boreal evergreen forests on Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu, nesting in hollows of large trees. Males defend territories of about two hectares, while females occupy roughly one hectare.

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