flying squirrel

[Kaling Dai]

this nocturnal subject was shot using 7D + 100-400mm with 430 EX II flash (newly acquired), purely on experimental attempt. it was about 20 ft high, nibbling at the fruit. time: 7:30 pm.

[Abhishek Jamalabad]

Very nice. Love the vegetation all around and the pose. Nice behaviour and habitat shot. I am not sure about the use of flash on these sensitive nocturnal animals... maybe it would be safer to use a strong but diffused torch and a tripod?
TFS

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Nice, difficult and interesting photograph.It is feeding but its tail is lifted over its back so that the tip is right above the head signifying that it has kept itself ready for glide(it does not fly) from this tree to another at short notice.
Thanks for sharing.SaktiWild




N.B:
This squirrel is purely nocturnal,as Abhishek Bhai has pointed out, flashlight should not be used by a nature lover,as a code of ethics.He has suggested the alternative also.

[Mrudul Godbole]

Nice to see this rare species. The eye contact and the habitat looks nice. Agree with the above comments. Thanks for sharing.

Saktipadaji, thanks for sharing the information.

[Roopak Gangadharan]

It looks pretty small and if so this could be the Particoloured Flying Squirrel Hylopetes alboniger .If so this is the first decent image of this animal in wild that im seeing and thank you very much Mr.Dai for this. Will try to get a confirmation on the Id....

TFS
Roopak

[Murugan Anantharaman]

Nice image of the squirrel feeding. I didnt know that certain species of squirrel are nocturnal also. Thanks for the details everybody.

[Roopak Gangadharan]

Agree on using a flashlight to get some diffused light rather than camera flash which can result in temporary blinding or even permanent damage to nocturnal animals and this is a rare one..

TFS
Roopak

[Suraj Sreedhar]

Good find.Nice image of this nocturnal creature.
TFS

[Kaling Dai]

Nice, difficult and interesting photograph.It is feeding but its tail is lifted over its back so that the tip is right above the head signifying that it has kept itself ready for glide(it does not fly) from this tree to another at short notice.
Thanks for sharing.SaktiWild




N.B:
This squirrel is purely nocturnal,as Abhishek Bhai has pointed out, flashlight should not be used by a nature lover,as a code of ethics.He has suggested the alternative also.

thanks for the info. shall be careful next time on.

[Kaling Dai]

It looks pretty small and if so this could be the Particoloured Flying Squirrel Hylopetes alboniger .If so this is the first decent image of this animal in wild that im seeing and thank you very much Mr.Dai for this. Will try to get a confirmation on the Id....

TFS
Roopak

thank you, Roopak. i have just come across in news.mongabay.com about Travancore flying squirrel which was thought to be extinct. the picture looks similar and by habit also reads same, small, cryptic and nocturnal. kindly do confirm the ID.

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

Eastern Himalaya is the home of a few species of flying squirrel.It is indeed a smaller flying squirrel,as observed by Roopak Bhai. If the use of flash has not distorted colours, then in my view,it is a Particolored Flying Squirrel(Hylopetes alboniger)as the upper body is black to blackish and under-parts are white and no brown hair near its ears is visible in the photograph.Thanks for sharing.SaktiWild

[Roopak Gangadharan]

Kaling, this is not the Travancore flying squirrel -Petinomys fuscocapillus which is endemic to the westren ghats and srilanka.Also it is not extinct.

TFS
Roopak

[V S Sankar]

Very nice pic of a rare animal.I agree that flash is prohibited in wildlife photography.Thanks to Roopakji and Sakthiji for good information...

Regards