Two new species of flying squirrels have been discovered in the Himalayas

Their long, fluffy tails, sometimes as long as their bodies, act as their “rudder” and also act as an umbrella during sudden heavy rains. Due to their large size and thick, soft fur, rodents are also able to retain heat in their cold environment.

Squirrel secrets revealed

And the more Helgen and his colleague increased Stephen Jackson Learning about squirrels, they become more convinced of the existence of rock fly horns in the Himalayas than previously thought. (Read more about a new flying squirrel that has been discovered in the United States.)

During visits to eight museums around the world, the two scientists examined 24 composite specimens of rockfly antlers, the youngest of which was nearly 50 years old. They found that there are significant differences in the shape of the skulls, and that the animal that… E. Tibetansis It will be called black head on its tail, which is missing in other skins. DNA analysis confirmed that they are two different species.

“These specimens have been in the museum’s repository for a hundred years, waiting to be revealed,” said Melissa Roberts Hawkins, a curator of mammals and squirrel expert at the Smithsonian Institution.

She says it’s very important to study flying squirrels to look at their genetic and physical characteristics. “Squirrels can look completely different and still be the same species, and it’s also possible that two squirrels can look the same when separated by millions of years of evolution.”

Because the research was conducted on a limited number of museum specimens, there’s nothing to be said about the population size of rockfly pods or the threats they face, according to Helgen.

“This is just the beginning,” Helgen says. “Now that they have been given a name, researchers can gather more knowledge about how they live.”

This article was originally published in English at NationalGeographic.com