scholarly journals Design and Demonstration of a Flying-Squirrel-Inspired Jumping Robot with Two Modes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 3362
Author(s):  
Fei Zhao ◽  
Wei Wang ◽  
Justyna Wyrwa ◽  
Jingtao Zhang ◽  
Wenxin Du ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pitch Angle ◽  
Initial Velocity ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Flying Squirrel ◽  
Flexible Wing ◽  
Flying Squirrels ◽  
Jumping Robot

The jumping–gliding robot is a kind of locomotion platform with the capabilities to jump on the ground and glide through the air. The jumping of this robot has to juggle the requirements of initial velocity and posture for entry to gliding and progressing on the ground. Inspired by flying squirrels, we proposed the concept of flexible wing-limb blending platform and designed a robot with two jumping modes. The robot can takeoff with different speeds and stances, and adjust aerial posture using the swing of forelimbs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first miniature and bio-inspired jumping robot that can autonomically change the speeds and stances when takeoff. Experimental results show that the robot can takeoff at about 3 m/s and pitch angle of 0° in the mode of jumping for gliding and adjust the pitch angle at the top to 0°~10° by actuating the forelimbs swing according to the requirement of gliding. In the mode of jumping for progress, the robot can takeoff at about 2 m/s with a pitch angle of 20° and then intermittently jump with a distance of 0.37 m of once jump and an average progress speed of 0.2 m/s. The robot presented in this paper lays the foundation for the development of flexible wing-limb blending platform, which is capable of jumping and gliding.

Photoperiod synchronizes reproduction and growth in the southern flying squirrel,Glaucomys volans

1990 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theresa M. Lee ◽  
Irving Zucker
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Reproductive Condition ◽  
Glaucomys Volans ◽  
Flying Squirrel ◽  
Seasonal Rhythms ◽  
Flying Squirrels ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
Natural Photoperiod ◽  
Ad Libitum ◽  
Southern Flying Squirrel

Southern flying squirrels were housed in a simulated natural photoperiod for 40°N latitude and held at a constant temperature of 23 °C with food and water provided ad libitum. Body weight and reproductive condition were monitored weekly for 2 years. Males were in reproductive condition between January and mid-August and females were in estrus from late February to mid-April and again from mid-June until early August. Young were conceived during both estrous periods and several squirrels produced two litters in the same year. Minimum body weights were recorded in adults in mid-October each year. Pups born in the spring grew more rapidly than those from summer litters, and reached puberty at 2.5 months as compared with 6–8 months of age for the summer litters. Several seasonal rhythms appear to be controlled by photoperiod in this species.

Distribution and relative abundance of giant squirrels and flying squirrels in Karnataka, India / Distribution et abondance relative des espèces d'écureuils géants et volants à Karnataka, Inde

Mammalia ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 70 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Honnavalli N. Kumara ◽  
Mewa Singh
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Eastern Ghats ◽  
Northern Population ◽  
Flying Squirrel ◽  
Evergreen Forests ◽  
Flying Squirrels ◽  
Major Threat ◽  
Distributional Range ◽  
Abondance Relative ◽  
The Western Ghats

AbstractWe assessed the distribution and relative abundance of giant squirrels and flying squirrels in the state of Karnataka, India. Two species of giant squirrels, the Indian giant squirrel and the grizzled giant squirrel, and two species of flying squirrel, the large brown flying squirrel and the small Travancore flying squirrel, were found to occur in Karnataka. Indian giant squirrels and large brown flying squirrels were more widely distributed than the other two species. The distributional range included the forests of the Western and Eastern Ghats. However, their distribution was confined only to forests with tall trees. Indian giant squirrels and large brown flying squirrels occur in both deciduous and evergreen forests. Small Travancore flying squirrels occupied high-rainfall evergreen forests on western slopes in the Western Ghats, and the grizzled giant squirrels occupy riverine forests. This report of the small Travancore flying squirrel is the first of this species from Karnataka, and this population is the most northern population of its distributional range. Hunting was found to be a major threat, and influenced the abundance of all species except the grizzled giant squirrel. Hunting was primarily for domestic consumption.

Den trees used by northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) in southeastern Alaska

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (9) ◽  
pp. 1623-1633 ◽  
Author(s):  
V J Bakker ◽  
K Hastings
Keyword(s):  
Small Groups ◽  
Random Trees ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Glaucomys Sabrinus ◽  
Flying Squirrel ◽  
Flying Squirrels ◽  
Northern Flying Squirrel ◽  
Den Site Selection ◽  
Northern Flying Squirrels

Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) dens are reportedly associated with features characteristic of older forests, and den availability is a potential limiting factor in younger forests. We assessed den sites used by northern flying squirrels in southeastern Alaska, where we expected den-site selection to differ from more southerly forests, owing to increased thermal stress but reduced predation and competition. We located 27 squirrels in 76 dens and compared den trees with 1875 matched random trees. Most dens ([Formula: see text]73%) were in cavities and 21% were at heights of [Formula: see text]3 m. This high rate of cavity use, including cavities low in the bole, likely reflects the importance of weatherproof dens in this cool wet region. Northern flying squirrels preferentially used trees with indicators of cavity presence, selecting for snags and for larger diameter trees with bole entries, conks, abundant mistletoe, and dead tops. Although cavity availability is probably not limiting populations in this region currently, cavity-supporting trees would be one of the last elements of old-growth forests to develop in intensively logged stands. Retention of small groups of large snags and live trees exhibiting evidence of disease or physical defects would ensure availability of denning structures after logging.

Phylogenetic position of the small Kashmir flying squirrel, Hylopetes fimbriatus (≡ Eoglaucomys fimbriatus), in the subfamily Pteromyinae

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (8) ◽  
pp. 1336-1342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatsuo Oshida ◽  
Chaudhry M Shafique ◽  
Sohail Barkati ◽  
Masatoshi Yasuda ◽  
Nor Azman Hussein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
New World ◽  
Sequence Data ◽  
Complete Sequence ◽  
Phylogenetic Position ◽  
Bering Strait ◽  
Flying Squirrel ◽  
Flying Squirrels ◽  
Mitochondrial Cytochrome B ◽  
Phylogenetic Status

The phylogenetic relationships of flying squirrels (Pteromyinae) were studied by obtaining complete sequence data from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of eight Old World and two New World flying squirrel species, with special reference to the systematic and phylogenetic status among Hylopetes fimbriatus (Gray, 1837) (≡ Eoglaucomys fimbriatus (Gray, 1837)) from Pakistan, two Glaucomys Thomas, 1908 species from North America, and two Hylopetes Thomas, 1908 species from Southeast Asia. Phylogenetic trees supported clustering of (i) Belomys pearsonii (Gray, 1842), (ii) H. fimbriatus, the Glaucomys species, Hylopetes lepidus (Horsfield, 1823), and Hylopetes phayrei (Blyth, 1859), (iii) species of Pteromys G. Cuvier, 1800, and (iv) species of Petaurista Link, 1795. Early polytomic divergence among the flying squirrel genera could have taken place in the northern part of the Eurasian continent. The unclear divergence between the Old and New World flying squirrels shows that divergence among flying squirrel genera could have occurred before the formation of the Bering Strait. Hylopetes fimbriatus was more closely related to the two Glaucomys species than to H. lepidus or H. phayrei, supporting placement of the species fimbriatus in the monotypic genus Eoglaucomys Howell, 1915.

Characteristics of northern flying squirrel populations in young second- and old-growth forests in western Oregon

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel K. Rosenberg ◽  
Robert G. Anthony
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Habitat Associations ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Glaucomys Sabrinus ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Flying Squirrel ◽  
Flying Squirrels ◽  
Northern Flying Squirrel ◽  
Second Growth

We compared density, sex ratio, body mass, and annual recapture rate of northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) populations in second-growth and old-growth Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stands in the Oregon Cascade Range. Densities averaged 2.0 and 2.3 squirrels/ha in second- and old-growth stands, respectively. Although densities varied between years within stands, average densities were similar between years. Body mass and annual recapture rate were similar between stand–age classes, although a higher proportion of females was recaptured in subsequent years in second-growth than in old-growth stands. Similarly, there was a higher proportion of females than males in second-growth but not in old-growth stands. Squirrel densities were not correlated with habitat characteristics; we concluded that flying squirrels may be habitat generalists, and not a species associated with old-growth stands, as was previously hypothesized. We suggest that studies be carried out with radiotelemetry to more accurately assess the habitat associations of this species.

Comparative account of the merocysts seen in the Himalayan flying squirrels, with a note on the identity of the parasites

Parasitology ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 411-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Dasgupta ◽  
Amal Chatterjee ◽  
H. N. Ray
Keyword(s):  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
The Other ◽  
Flying Squirrel ◽  
New Subspecies ◽  
Flying Squirrels

Merocysts in P. inornatus are found in the liver, spleen and lungs, while in P. magnificus the liver is the only site. In the former the protoplasmic rim is narrow and the merozoites are sparsely distributed within it; in the latter the protoplasmic rim is irregular, quite thick and broken in places. In the former, the colloidal mass is scanty, and is in the form of tenuous matrix enclosing irregular interspaces; in the latter form, the colloidal mass is in the form of homogeneous substance with little vacuolation. In view of the wide differences in the structure and the site of occurrence, the merocysts found in the two different species of flying squirrels are considered to belong to two separate parasites. The parasite occurring in P. inornatus is identified as H. rayi rayi Tokura & Wu, sensu stricto, while the other parasite occurring in P. magnificus is designated H. rayi wui, a new subspecies, named in honour of Dr Wu Chen-Lan who worked on flying squirrel malaria in Formosa.

scholarly journals A de novo genome assembly and annotation of the southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse F Wolf ◽  
Jeff Bowman ◽  
Sonesinh Keobouasone ◽  
Rebecca S Taylor ◽  
Paul J Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Genome Assembly ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Demographic History ◽  
Secondary Contact ◽  
Glaucomys Volans ◽  
Widespread Species ◽  
Short Read ◽  
Flying Squirrel ◽  
Flying Squirrels ◽  
Southern Flying Squirrel

Northern (Glaucomys sabrinus) and southern (Glaucomys volans) flying squirrels are widespread species distributed across much of North America. Northern flying squirrels are common inhabitants of the boreal forest, also occurring in coniferous forest remnants farther south, whereas the southern flying squirrel range is centered in eastern temperate woodlands. These two flying squirrel species exhibit a hybrid zone across a latitudinal gradient in an area of recent secondary contact. Glaucomys hybrid offspring are viable and can successfully backcross with either parental species, however, the fitness implications of such events are currently unknown. Some populations of G. sabrinus are endangered, and thus, interspecific hybridization is a key conservation concern in flying squirrels. We sequenced and assembled a de novo long-read genome from a G. volans individual sampled in southern Ontario, Canada, while four short-read genomes (2 G. sabrinus and 2 G. volans, all from Ontario) were re-sequenced on Illumina platforms. The final genome assembly consisted of approximately 2.40Gb with a scaffold N50 of 455.26Kb. Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs reconstructed 3,742 (91.2%) complete mammalian genes, and genome annotation using RNA-seq identified the locations of 19,124 protein-coding genes. The four short-read individuals were aligned to our reference genome to investigate the demographic history of the two species. A Principal Component Analysis clearly separated re-sequenced individuals, while inferring population size history using the Pairwise Sequentially Markovian Coalescent model noted an approximate species split one million years ago, and a single, possibly recently introgressed individual.

scholarly journals Ultrasonic Acoustic Surveys of State Endangered Northern Flying Squirrels in the Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 644-653
Author(s):  
Corinne A. Diggins ◽  
L. Michelle Gilley ◽  
Gregory G. Turner ◽  
W. Mark Ford
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Probability Of Detection ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Glaucomys Volans ◽  
Detection Rates ◽  
Flying Squirrel ◽  
Flying Squirrels ◽  
Declining Populations ◽  
Acoustic Surveys ◽  
Study Sites

Abstract Surveying for flying squirrels by using traditional techniques produces extremely low detection rates compared with ultrasonic acoustics. Within Pennsylvania, the northern flying squirrel subspecies Glaucomys sabrinus macrotis is state listed as endangered due to habitat loss and parasite-mediated competition by and hybridization with the southern flying squirrel Glaucomys volans. This subspecies is isolated from adjacent populations in West Virginia and New York and has experienced drastic population declines. The discovery and characterization of ultrasonic vocalizations of G. s. macrotis and G. volans, as well as successful field surveys with ultrasonic acoustic detectors in the southern Appalachian Mountains, highlight the potential use of this technique for determining the presence of G. s. macrotis. To confirm the feasibility of using this technique on declining populations of G. s. macrotis sympatric with G. volans, we conducted 108 nights of passive ultrasonic acoustic surveys for G. s. macrotis at six survey sites by using two detectors per survey site (N = 12 detectors) in June 2017. We considered sites high quality (“high”) or low quality (“low”) based on the number of physical capture records during the past 2 decades and the dominance of boreo-montane conifer tree species in the overstory. We detected G. s. macrotis at four study sites and G. volans at all six study sites. We found higher average probability of detection for G. s. macrotis in high vs. low sites (0.28 ± 0.06 [mean ± SE] and 0.09 ± 0.07, respectively), whereas probability of detection was similar for G. volans between high and low sites (0.13 ± 0.05 and 0.17 ± 0.05, respectively). We also found G. s. macrotis had lower latency of detection at high vs. low sites (2.7 ± 0.8 and 7.83 ± 1.5 nights, respectively) but G. volans did not vary in latency of detection between sites (5 ± 1.6 and 3.8 ± 1.5 nights, respectively). Our study shows acoustics can be successfully used to efficiently survey G. s. macrotis in Pennsylvania, where populations are small and monitoring these populations more effectively is critical to determining changes in persistence due to climate- and disease-induced factors.

Experimental trials of the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) traversing managed rainforest landscapes: perceptual range and fine-scale movements

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (9) ◽  
pp. 1050-1058 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. A. Flaherty ◽  
W. P. Smith ◽  
S. Pyare ◽  
M. Ben-David
Keyword(s):  
Forest Edge ◽  
Glaucomys Sabrinus ◽  
Perceptual Range ◽  
Cost Of Transport ◽  
Flying Squirrel ◽  
Flying Squirrels ◽  
Northern Flying Squirrel ◽  
Second Growth ◽  
Fragmented Forests ◽  
Experimental Trials

Successful dispersal in many species may be a function of the distance at which animals can perceive a particular landscape feature (i.e., perceptual range), as well as energetic costs associated with traversing the distance towards that feature. We used a model, relating perceptual range to body size of mammals, to predict the perceptual range of the northern flying squirrel ( Glaucomys sabrinus (Shaw, 1801)) in fragmented forests of Southeast Alaska. We hypothesized that the perceptual range of flying squirrels would be 325.5–356.5 m in clearcuts and 159.7–174.9 m in second-growth stands. The distance advantage in clearcuts may, however, be lost if the cost of transport in that habitat is higher. Our results suggest that as heuristically predicted by the model, the perceptual range of flying squirrels was greater in clearcut habitats than in second-growth stands. Nonetheless, for both habitats the actual perceptual range was significantly shorter than predicted by the model. We found that precipitation, and associated cloud cover and illumination, and wind speed, which affect olfaction capabilities, influenced orientation success. Although squirrels more often oriented towards the forest edge in clearcuts, they paused more often during their movements, which may lead to higher costs of dispersing through this habitat. The application of the mass-based model to nonagricultural landscapes should be done with caution, and variables such as wind and illumination be measured concurrently. Our data illustrate that dispersing squirrels likely will not venture into managed habitats because logging creates clearcuts larger than the perceptual range of these mammals.

Implications of cytochrome b sequence variation for biogeography and conservation of the northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) of the Alexander Archipelago, Alaska

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (9) ◽  
pp. 1771-1777 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R Demboski ◽  
Brandy K Jacobsen ◽  
Joseph A Cook
Keyword(s):  
Cytochrome B ◽  
Yukon Territory ◽  
Base Line ◽  
Glaucomys Sabrinus ◽  
Southeast Alaska ◽  
Flying Squirrel ◽  
Flying Squirrels ◽  
Mitochondrial Cytochrome B ◽  
Northern Flying Squirrels ◽  
Alexander Archipelago

The Alexander Archipelago of southeast Alaska is a highly fragmented landscape that is suspected to support a relatively large number of endemic mammals. At least two subspecies of northern flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) have been recognized from the region, the endemic Prince of Wales Island flying squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus griseifrons, and the Alaska Coast flying squirrel, G. s. zaphaeus. We examined 56 northern flying squirrels from Alaska, Washington State, and Yukon Territory, using the DNA sequence from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene to assess geographic variation. Flying squirrels from Washington were highly divergent (7.3%) from those of Alaska and Yukon Territory. Variation among Alaska and Yukon Territory populations was minimal, but five haplotypes were found. One predominantly "mainland" haplotype was widespread throughout Alaska, one island haplotype was confined to nine islands in southeast Alaska ("Prince of Wales complex"), and three haplotypes were unique. Flying squirrels of the Prince of Wales complex appear to be neoendemics and descended from a single founder population. Mitochondrial variation, although minimal, is consistent with the continued recognition of G. s. griseifrons. Our results, in light of increased habitat fragmentation in southeast Alaska, suggest that molecular data can provide important base-line information for effective management of insular populations.

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