The back or dorsal region is brown to reddish or even blackish-brown, sometimes with a greyish overall effect. The defining characteristic is a noticeably ashy-grey or grey-speckled head, a white throat, and a black chin. It can be told apart from Petaurista elegans by the absence of white spots on the back.

Globally distributed in Nepal, Bhutan, India, Myanmar and South-Central China. In India, the species is distributed in Sikkim, northern West Bengal, and eastern Arunachal Pradesh.

The species inhabits Oak-Rhododendron and conifer forests at elevations between 2100 and 3600 m above sea level.

They have been observed to feed on the buds, leaves of rhododendrons and cones of conifer species.