Namdapha flying squirrel

About Namdapha flying squirrel

• It is an arboreal, nocturnal flying squirrel endemic to Arunachal Pradesh.
• It is one of the 43 known flying squirrel species in the world.
• It was named the Namdapha Flying Squirrel after the location it was discovered in an area which falls under the Namdapha National Park.
• Appearance: It has reddish, grizzled fur with white above.
• These squirrels are not capable of flight like birds or bats; instead, they glide between trees.
• Distribution: They inhabit tall Mesua ferrea jungles, often on hill slopes in the catchment area of the Dihing River (particularly on the western slope of the Patkai range) in northeastern India.
• They are herbivores (frugivores, granivores). They eat various fruits, nuts, seeds, fungi, flowers, and tree sap.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
  • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: schedule II

Key facts about the Namdapha Tiger Reserve 

• It is located in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
• Namdapha is the name of a river which originates from Daphabum and meets the Noa-Dehing river.
• This river flows right across in a North-South direction of the National Park and hence the name Namdapha has been given.
• This protected area is wedged between the Dapha Bum ridge of Mishmi Hills, of North Eastern Himalayas and the Patkai Ranges.
• Flora: Evergreen Forests, Moist deciduous forests, sub-tropical forests, Temperate Forests and Alpine. 
• Fauna: Earthworms, Butterflies & Moths, Amphibians, Reptiles etc.

Q1) What is Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest?

The Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest is a unique forest found only in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Its distribution is restricted to the narrow coastal strip from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh in the north to Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu in the south.

Source: Missing for 42 years, Namdapha flying squirrel resurfaces in Arunachal Pradesh