Food Habits of the Indian Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista philippensis) in a Rain Forest Fragment, Western Ghats

Abstract

We examined the feeding habits of the Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis) in a rain-forest fragment in southern Western Ghats, India, from December 1999 to March 2000. Flying squirrels consumed 4 major plant parts belonging to 9 plant species. Ficus racemosa was the most-eaten species (68.1%) during the period of the study, followed by Cullenia exarillata (9.57%) and Artocarpus heterophyllus (6.38%). The most commonly consumed food item was the fruit of F. racemosa (48.93%). Leaves formed an important component of the diet (32.97%) and the leaves of F. racemosa were consumed more than those of any other species. Flying squirrels proved to be tolerant of disturbance and exploited food resources at the fragment edge, including exotic planted species.