Flying squirrel - Momonga

A general term for animals in the Pteromys genus of the Mammalia class, Rodentia order, Sciuridae family. Members of this genus Pteromys have a similar appearance to flying squirrels, with flying membranes between their front and back legs, but their bodies are much smaller and the size of a squirrel. For this reason, they often give birth and raise their young in bird nest boxes set up in the forest. Compared to flying squirrels, they have significantly larger eyes and flatter tail hair. They are also called bandori and momo, and in some areas the name flying squirrel is also known as flying squirrel. Flying squirrels come in two types of body color: gray on the back and brown. Both have white undersides. Their body length is 15 to 20 cm, their tail length is 10 to 14 cm, and they weigh around 150 grams. In Japan, the Siberian flying squirrel P. volans orii , a subspecies of the Siberian flying squirrel that is widely distributed from Northern Europe to Siberia and Sakhalin, is found in Hokkaido, while the endemic Honshu flying squirrel P. momonga is found in Honshu and Kyushu. The former is slightly smaller than the latter. In Hokkaido, they live on flat land, but whereas the flying squirrel is more common in low mountains in Honshu and Kyushu, the Japanese flying squirrel is usually found in mountainous areas over 1000 meters above sea level, especially in the subalpine zone, and has been recorded as being caught on the summit of Mt. Fuji. They are nocturnal, feeding on tree buds, leaves, and fruits. Compared to the flying squirrel, they are more agile in the trees, and can glide faster, sometimes appearing like birds. The breeding season is from April to October. Females usually carry bark into tree hollows to make nests, and give birth to 3 to 6 babies per litter. The flying squirrel genus Glaucomys , which lives in North America, is very similar to the Japanese flying squirrel in both appearance and body size.

[Yoshiharu Imaizumi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

哺乳(ほにゅう)綱齧歯(げっし)目リス科モモンガ属に含まれる動物の総称。この属Pteromysの仲間は、前後肢の間に飛膜をもつなど、姿はムササビに似るが、体がずっと小さくリス大である。このためしばしば、森に仕掛けられた小鳥用の巣箱に入って子を産み、育てる。ムササビに比べ際だって目が大きく、尾の毛が平たく伸びるのが特徴。バンドリ、モモの名でもよばれるほか、地域によってはモモンガの名はムササビの別称ともされる。モモンガの体色には、背面が灰色のものと褐色のものの二つのタイプがある。腹面はともに白色。体長15～20センチメートル、尾長10～14センチメートル、体重150グラム前後。日本には、北ヨーロッパからシベリア、樺太(からふと)（サハリン）に広く分布するタイリクモモンガの亜種であるエゾモモンガP. volans oriiが北海道に、固有種であるホンシュウモモンガP. momongaが本州、九州に分布する。前者は後者よりもやや体が小さい。北海道では平地にもすむが、本州、九州では、ムササビが低い山に多いのに対して、普通、海抜1000メートル以上の山地、とくに亜高山帯に多く、富士山頂で捕獲された記録もある。夜行性で、木の芽、葉、果実などを食べる。ムササビに比べ、樹上での動きが敏捷(びんしょう)で、滑空のスピードも速く、鳥のようにみえることがある。繁殖期は4～10月。雌は普通、木の洞に樹皮を運んで巣とし、1産3～6子を産む。北アメリカにすむアメリカモモンガ属Glaucomysは、姿、体の大きさともモモンガにたいへんよく似ている。

［今泉吉晴］

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