FLYING SQUIRRELS · SPECIES PROFILE

Thomas’s Flying Squirrel

Aeromys thomasi

Least ConcernDETAILED REFERENCE
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Body lengthUnknown
Tail lengthUnknown
WeightUnknown
Activitylarge nocturnal arboreal glider
ConservationLeast Concern
Countries / regionBrunei · Indonesia · Malaysia
01

Classification & Current Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilySciuridae
SubfamilySciurinae
TribePteromyini
GenusAeromys
SpeciesAeromys thomasi
MDD taxon ID1001613

Current MDD recognizes this as a living species in tribe Pteromyini.

02 · DISTRIBUTION

Where it occurs

Current MDD country distribution: Brunei · Indonesia · Malaysia.

Country-level distribution is a broad map, not a claim that the species occurs throughout every listed country.

02 · HABITAT

Where it lives

Current MDD country distribution: Brunei · Indonesia · Malaysia. Species-specific forest type, elevation limits and microhabitat use are not fully summarized here. Genus context: Sundaic tropical forest.

03

Shelter, Nest & Resting Sites

Species-specific den and nest data: Unknown. Genus context: arboreal cavities and secure tree sites. This is context, not a substitute for direct observations of Thomas’s Flying Squirrel.

RANGE & HABITAT CONTEXT

Compare form, setting and structure

Related flying squirrels help break up the reference while showing how habitat, body form and movement can vary across the broader group.

Javanese Flying Squirrel — related flying squirrel visual context
RELATED FLYING SQUIRRELJavanese Flying SquirrelIomys horsfieldii — related group reference for visual comparison; not Thomas’s Flying Squirrel.(c) blackdogto, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC-BY-NC · VIEW SOURCE ↗
Mentawai Flying Squirrel — related flying squirrel visual context
RELATED FLYING SQUIRRELMentawai Flying SquirrelIomys sipora — related group reference for visual comparison; not Thomas’s Flying Squirrel.(c) CaracalShan, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC-BY · VIEW SOURCE ↗
04

Identification & Physical Profile

Body lengthUnknown
Tail lengthUnknown
WeightUnknown
AppearanceSpecies-specific adult measurements and diagnostic pelage details are not yet sufficiently standardized in available species-specific references. Genus context: Aeromys is a large flying-squirrel lineage; exact field identification should use locality, measurements and current taxonomic references together.

Species-specific adult measurements and diagnostic pelage details are not yet sufficiently standardized in available species-specific references. Genus context: Aeromys is a large flying-squirrel lineage; exact field identification should use locality, measurements and current taxonomic references together.

05

Gliding Anatomy & Locomotion

As a member of Pteromyini, this species uses a furred patagium between the fore- and hind limbs for controlled gliding. Wrist-supported membrane anatomy and the tail contribute to lift, steering, braking and landing. Species-specific maximum glide distance: Unknown.

Pteromyini context: Flying squirrels glide rather than perform powered flight. The patagium creates an aerodynamic surface, specialized wrist structures help support that surface, and the flattened or bushy tail contributes to stability and control.

06

Behavior, Activity & Communication

Activity: large nocturnal arboreal glider

Social system: Unknown at species-specific detail.

Communication: Unknown at species-specific detail. Flying squirrels also use scent, posture and acoustic signals, but a species-specific repertoire is not assigned without direct evidence.

BEHAVIOR & FORAGING CONTEXT

Keep behavior connected to the animal

These are related flying squirrels, not photographs of Thomas’s Flying Squirrel. Use them as visual context for locomotion, posture, feeding and environmental use.

Hose’s Pygmy Flying Squirrel — related flying squirrel visual context
RELATED FLYING SQUIRRELHose’s Pygmy Flying SquirrelPetaurillus hosei — related group reference for visual comparison; not Thomas’s Flying Squirrel.(c) Zhang Xiaojie, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC-BY-NC · VIEW SOURCE ↗
White-bellied Giant Flying Squirrel — related flying squirrel visual context
RELATED FLYING SQUIRRELWhite-bellied Giant Flying SquirrelPetaurista albiventer — related group reference for visual comparison; not Thomas’s Flying Squirrel.(c) Rohit Chakravarty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA) · CC-BY-NC-SA · VIEW SOURCE ↗
07

Diet & Foraging

Species-specific diet: Unknown or incompletely documented in available references. Genus context: fruits, seeds and plant matter are typical; exact species diet varies.

Unknown
08

Reproduction & Development

Breeding seasonUnknown
GestationUnknown
Litter sizeUnknown
DevelopmentUnknown

Unknown values remain explicit. Reproductive figures from related flying squirrels are not silently substituted for this species.

09 · LONGEVITY

Lifespan

Unknown

09 · PREDATORS

Predation & Risk

Species-specific predator list: Unknown. Flying squirrels are broadly preyed on by nocturnal raptors, snakes and mammalian carnivores, with the exact predator community depending on region.

10

Ecology & Ecosystem Role

Species-specific ecological role is incompletely documented. Genus context: large-bodied forest consumer and prey species.

GROUP DIVERSITY

See the wider group around this species

Squirrels in the same broad group can look and live very differently. These credited references provide comparison without changing the facts for Thomas’s Flying Squirrel.

Red-and-white Giant Flying Squirrel — related flying squirrel visual context
RELATED FLYING SQUIRRELRed-and-white Giant Flying SquirrelPetaurista alborufus — related group reference for visual comparison; not Thomas’s Flying Squirrel.(c) 武亦乾 Yiqian Wu, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC-BY-NC · VIEW SOURCE ↗
Gray-headed Giant Flying Squirrel — related flying squirrel visual context
RELATED FLYING SQUIRRELGray-headed Giant Flying SquirrelPetaurista caniceps — related group reference for visual comparison; not Thomas’s Flying Squirrel.(c) Ralf Bürglin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) · CC-BY-NC · VIEW SOURCE ↗
11

Conservation

CURRENT MDD / IUCN STATUSLeast Concern

Current MDD status shown above. Species with narrow island or montane distributions can face serious local habitat pressure even when a global assessment is not available.

12

Research Coverage & Unknowns

Natural-history coverage is incomplete. Taxonomy, current country distribution and conservation category are anchored to MDD; unsupported measurements, reproduction and lifespan remain Unknown rather than inferred from relatives.

Genus context: Aeromys is a large flying-squirrel lineage associated broadly with Sundaic tropical forest. This is genus-level context where direct species-specific data are missing.

13

References & Further Reading

Taxonomy, distribution and conservation status follow the Mammal Diversity Database.