Petaurista lena
Silhouette: CBG Photography Group, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics (photograph) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The red and white giant flying squirrel (Petaurista alborufus) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is a very large, dark rufous-red, buff and white flying squirrel found in forests at altitudes of 800–3,500 m (2,600–11,500 ft) in mainland China and 1,200–3,750 m (3,940–12,300 ft) in Taiwan, although the population of the latter island is distinctive and likely better regarded as a separate species, the Taiwan giant flying squirrel (P. lena). Additionally, the red and white giant flying squirrel possibly ranges into northeastern South Asia and far northern Mainland Southeast Asia. This squirrel has a wide range and is relatively common, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as being of "least concern".
They spend their days sleeping in a tree hollow, emerging at night to forage in the trees. Their diet consists primarily of nuts and fruits, but also includes leafy vegetation, insects and their larvae. Like other flying squirrels, this species can move between trees by gliding (not actually flying like a bat), exceptionally as much as 400 m (1,300 ft). This is achieved by the patagium, skin spread out between its limbs. Wikipedia →
Recording0:09
Taiwan · 2025
© taiwan_habu · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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Taiwan · 2025
© Amaël Borzée · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
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Taiwan · 2023
© 丸善斯基 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ocean Fantasy Museum | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Taiwan Giant Flying Squirrel sighting in Taroko National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 8th most-seen of the 12 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–April and June–July
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Taiwan Giant Flying Squirrel in Taroko National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to February, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Taiwan Giant Flying Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Only Taroko National Park, in our data
Taroko National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Taiwan Giant Flying Squirrel sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Sciuridae
The closest relatives of the Taiwan Giant Flying Squirrel that you can see in Taroko National Park (family Sciuridae, Squirrels) are Maritime Striped Squirrel (about 30%), Pallas's Squirrel (about 10%) and Perny's Long-nosed Squirrel (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Taiwan Giant Flying Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Taroko National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
