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NRLD - 93991 | Glaucomys volans

Assessment ID
93991
Taxon name
Glaucomys volans
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Uploaded by
National Red List Database
Taxonomic information
Scientific name
Glaucomys volans
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Common name(s)
Southern Flying Squirrel (English), Petit polatouche (Français)
Assessed taxon level
Population
Higher level taxonomic groupings
Vertebrates
Mammals
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
chordata
Class
mammalia
Order
rodentia
Family
sciuridae
Genus
Glaucomys
Species
volans
Species authority
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Taxonomic notes and synonyms listed
Atlantic (Nova Scotia) population
Location and scope
Specific locality or subnational name or regional name
Canada
Scope (of the Assessment)
National
Countries included within the scope of the assessment
Canada
Country ISO code(s)
CAN
Does the assessment cover a marine EEZ area(s)?
Not_assigned
Conservation Status
Assessed as
Threatened; Menacée
Criteria system used
Modified IUCN

(see Assessment details)

Assessment rationale/justification
Flying squirrels are small inconspicuous nocturnal forest-dwelling rodents with impressive gliding ability. They are difficult to distinguish from the Northern Flying Squirrel. In Nova Scotia, the southern species was first detected in 1971, and until 2001, was only known from seven sites. New recent research located southern flying squirrels in 32 locations and over a much wider area in the southern part of the province than expected. Like a number of species in Nova Scotia, it is at the north of its range and disjunct. Habitat loss through deforestation and fragmentation of intact forest may lead to extirpation of some local populations, but does not currently pose a threat to the species' persistence and the population appears stable.; Les polatouches sont de petits rongeurs sylvicoles, discrets et nocturnes, qui sont dotés d'une capacité impressionnante pour le planage. Ils sont difficiles à distinguer du grand polatouche. En Nouvelle-Écosse, l'espèce a été observée pour la première fois en 1971 et, jusqu'en 2001, on ne connaissait sa présence que dans 7 sites. De nouvelles recherches récentes ont décelé la présence de l'espèce dans 32 emplacements, et ce, dans une aire beaucoup plus grande que prévue dans le sud de la province. Tout comme un certain nombre d'espèces en Nouvelle-Écosse, cette espèce est située à la limite septentrionale de son aire de répartition et est isolée. La perte d'habitat en raison du déboisement et de la fragmentation de forêts intactes pourrait mener à la disparition de certaines populations locales, mais ne constitue actuellement pas une menace à la survie de l'espèce, et la population semble stable.
Assessment details
Year assessed
2006
Assessors/contributors/reviewers listed
Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Environment Canada.
Criteria system used
Modified IUCN
Reference for methods given
COSEWIC- Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (2006)
Further information
Endemism (according to assessment)
Endemic to region
Not assigned
Taxon distribution as listed in assessment
Nova Scotia
Is there a map available in assessment?
Not_assigned
Habitat and systems
Ecological system type
Terrestrial
Not_assigned
Freshwater
Not_assigned
Marine
Not_assigned
Threats and conservation measures listed
Threats listed in assessment
No information available
History
Designated Special Concern in April 1988. Split into two populations in April 2006 and the Atlantic (Nova Scotia) population was designated Not at Risk; Espèce désignée ' préoccupante ' en avril 1988. Division en populations en avril 2006, et la population de l'Atlantique (Nouvelle-Écosse) a été désignée ' non en péril '.
Publication
COSEWIC. 2006. Canadian Wildlife Species at Risk. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Web site: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/wildlife-plants-species/species-risk.html