There are seven species in this family. They are all found in the forests of central Africa.

Scaly-tailed squirrels look like squirrels. They have long tails with a tuft of fur on the end and two rows of pointed scales on the underside. They have sharp, curved claws and vary in color from black to brown to cream.

All of the species in this family, except for the flightless scaly-tailed squirrel, have a membrane that runs from their front legs to their rear legs that lets them glide from tree branch to tree branch.

Scaly-tailed squirrels live in pairs or colonies and eat fruit, insects, seeds, bark, and flowers. The often make their dens in hollow trees.

Scaly-tailed squirrels are also called African flying squirrels. Although they look like flying squirrels, they are not closely related to them.

World Status Key
Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in Wild Extinct Data Deficient
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist.

U.S. Status Key Threatened in US Endangered in US Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife Click on U.S. status icon to go to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife species profile.

New Hampshire Status Key Threatened in NH Endangered in NH Introduced Status taken from NH Fish and Game

Click for Image

Other Species Around the World
Location Key Africa Asia Australia/Oceania Europe North America South America NH Click for More Info Click for Image
Beecroft's Scaly-tailed Squirrel-Anomalurus beecrofti Dwarf Scaly-tailed Squirrel - Anomalurus pusillus Lord Derby's Scaly-tailed Squirrel -Anomalurus derbianus Pel's Flying Squirrel - Anomalurus pelii		Long-eared Scaly-tailed Flying Squirrel-Idiurus macrotis Pygmy Scaly-tailed Flying Squirrel - Idiurus zenkeri Flightless Scaly-tailed Squirrel - Zenkerella insignis

Additional Information

Resource Key
Profile Photos Video Audio

Beecroft's Scaly-tailed Squirrel - Anomalurus beecrofti
Beecroft's scaly-tailed squirrels are found in the tropical and subtropical forests of West and Central Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Dwarf Scaly-tailed Squirrel - Anomalurus pusillus
Dwarf scaly-tailed squirrels is found in Central Africa from Cameroon and Gabon to west Uganda and the northwest shore of Lake Tanganyika.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Flightless Scaly-tailed Squirrel - Zenkerella insignis
The flightless scaly-tailed squirrel is found from southern Cameroon and south-western Central African Republic to northern Gabon.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Long-eared Scaly-tailed Flying Squirrel - Idiurus macrotis
The long-eared scaly-tailed squirrel is found in southern Cameroon and Eastern Zaire, and the Bwamba forests in Uganda.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Lord Derby's Scaly-tailed Squirrel - Anomalurus derbianus
Lord Derby's scaly-tailed squirrel is found in tropical and subtropical forests of western and central Africa.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Pel's Flying Squirrel - Anomalurus pelii
Pel's flying squirrel is also known as Pel's scaly-tailed squirrel. It is found along the Cavalla River West Africa running from  Guinea through Côte d'Ivoire to Liberia.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Pygmy Scaly-tailed Flying Squirrel - Idiurus zenkeri
Pygmy scaly-tailed squirrels are 2.5-3 inches in length, not including their tails.
Source: Animal Diversity Web Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School

Pygmy Scaly-tailed Flying Squirrel - Idiurus zenkeri
The pygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrel is found from southern Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea in the west, to the Democratic Republic of Congo and western Uganda in the east.
Source: Arkive Intended Audience: General Reading Level: Middle School