The squirrel known by the name of ‘pankha’ is gliding in the air therefore it is called a flying squirrel.
The length of a flying squirrel is 37 cm. Its tail is 41 cm long, its weight is 1.5 to 2 kg. The age of a flying squirrel is of 15 to 17 years. The squirrel is of brown and greyish colour. It is bigger than a common squirrel. The diet (food) of this squirrel is fruits, flowers, leaves, seeds, insects and cocoon of silkworm.
The flying squirrel is found in ‘Kalavat’, ‘Vav’, ‘Duthar’ area, that is in the sanctuary of shoolpaneshwar. This is a night animal. The flying squirrel is found in search of food at late evening too. Moreover it is found in search of food for the whole night.
During the day time we find the squirrel sleeping in the hollow part of the tree or in the dense branches of the tree. In the night time the squirrel mix a constant typical type of sound.
This squirrel is found in the area of Indian peninsula. This type of squirrel is noticed in the area of ‘Ratan Mahal’, ‘Kevadi’ and the forest of ‘Shoolpaneshwar’.
This squirrel is known by the name of ‘pankha’ in the are of Dang while in Chota Udaipur it is known by the name of ‘Pankharu’ by the local public of this area.
Really such squirrels do not fly as the birds do but it jumps from high branches of a tree to the lower branches of the tree. It can glide to a little distance in the air by the help of extra thick skin joined between the front legs and hind legs.
The peculiarity of the big flying squirrel is that, That its big thick extra skin is joined from the front legs to the tail. The colour of the squirrel from head to body is chocolaty or grey. In some places the squirrels are found of grey colour.
The neck, chest and the belly part is of a light grey shade. The ears are big. The edge of the ears is somewhat reddish and greyish. The tail is of grey colour. In some squirrels we find the top part of the tail somewhat dark.
As soon as the sun sets it comes out of the hollow and begins to move here and there. Sometimes it returns at midnight. If it does not get any food it moves on and on on the tree till the dawn. We find it jumping on the tree. The squirrel holds the food with its front legs.
While eating fruits, seeds, skin of the trunk or insects and gums. It cuts the food with its front teeth. If the food is hard, we can hear the sound of cutting the food. Because of this peculiarity this squirrel is included in the active natured animals. They keep contact with one another by the help of particular sound. The squirrel reveals its fear or danger by screaming most probably.
For the survival of the squirrels the forest are must. Very big and dense trees are very convenient to the squirrels. The forest are disappearing therefore , the number of squirrels has become quite little and that is a big subject to be worried.