TRICHOTAXONOMY OF RED GIANT FLYING SQUIRREL, PETAURISTAPETAURISTA (PALLAS) AND NORTHERN PALM SQUIRREL, FUNAMBULUS PENNANTII WROUGHTON (MAMMALIA : RODENTIA : SCIURIDAE)

摘要

The present paper deals with light and Scanning Electron Microscopic studies of the hair characteristics (i.e. medulla type, cross section shape, cuticular pattern, scale index and medulla vs. total thickness of hair ratios) of species of Red giant flying squirrel, Petaurista petaurista (Pallas) and Northern palm squirrel, Funambulus pennantii Wroughton. Very few studies have so far been done all over world on trichotaxonomy of rodents, a group also known to be killed for their skin. The study will be useful in the identification of species for biological studies as well as in wildlife forensic.