Peek-a-boo : factors that affect the activity level and behaviour of the red and white giant flying squirrels (Petaurista alborufus castaneus) in night safari.

Abstract

Red and White Giant Flying Squirrels are elusive animals that are hard to study, thus little is known about their behaviour both in the wild and in captivity. However, knowledge on behaviour is the most crucial for conservation efforts to succeed. Environmental factors that could affect the behaviour of 3 squirrels were observed and recorded over 60 days. The

number of visitors was found to decrease their activity level significantly (P = 0.0289). Environmental factors like noise level (P = 0.0450) and weather (P = 0.0245) affected their

gliding frequencies significantly. Conversely, factors like temperature (P = 0.023) and humidity (P<0.001) influenced the time the squirrels leave their nest boxes, where the higher

the temperature and the lower the humidity, the earlier they leave. There were differences in preferred activities amongst the individuals. Resting was observed to be the most preferred

behaviour, whereby they spent 65% of their time doing. This study revealed that limiting the number of people and reducing noise level in the exhibit could increase squirrel activity level.

Various equipment could be added to encourage the squirrels to be more active, including heat lamps and dehumidifiers. All in all, the study created insights to how the flying squirrels react to environmental differences.