Black-Veined White vs Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel

Aporia crataegi compared with Trogopterus xanthipes

Key Differences

• Black-Veined White is Endangered while Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel is Near Threatened.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Black-Veined White	Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel
Kingdom same	Animalia (動物)	Animalia (動物)
Phylum	Arthropoda (節足動物)	Chordata (脊索動物)
Class	Insecta (昆虫)	Mammalia (哺乳類)
Order	Lepidoptera (チョウ目)	Rodentia (ネズミ目)
Family	Pieridae	Sciuridae (Squirrels)
Genus	Aporia	Trogopterus
Species	Aporia crataegi	Trogopterus xanthipes

Evolutionary Relationship

Black-Veined White and Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (動物)

Conservation Status

Black-Veined White

EN — Endangered

Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel

NT — Near Threatened

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Black-Veined White	Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Black-Veined White

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 9 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found across Asia (Cyprus) and Europe (39 countries). Currently classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Black-Veined White

Black-Veined White（Aporia crataegi）はIUCNレッドリストで絶滅危惧種（EN）に分類されています。野生での絶滅リスクが高く、個体数が著しく減少し、生存を脅かす要因が継続しています。

Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel

<em>Trogopterus xanthipes</em>, the complex-toothed flying squirrel, is a medium-sized gliding rodent in the family Pteromyidae endemic to China, where it inhabits montane broadleaf and mixed forests at elevations typically between 1,000 and 2,700 metres in provinces including Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hubei, and neighbouring regions. This species is the sole member of the genus Trogopterus and is distinguished by complex tooth morphology compared to other flying squirrels. Like all flying squirrels, it possesses a patagium — a gliding membrane stretching between fore and hind limbs — that enables it to glide between trees rather than undertake powered flight. The complex-toothed flying squirrel is nocturnal and arboreal, spending its days sheltering in tree hollows and foraging at night for leaves, bark, seeds, and fungi. Its faeces, known as Wuflingzhi, have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, leading to trapping pressure in parts of its range. The IUCN classifies this species as Near Threatened, reflecting population decline driven by overhunting for medicinal use and ongoing habitat loss from logging and agricultural encroachment in montane forests. Biological traits including average body mass, lifespan, litter size, and home range are partially documented but detailed population estimates are limited. Conservation measures include legal protections under Chinese wildlife law.