Deppe's croissant
| Deppe's croissant | ||||||||||||
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Deppe's squirrel ( Sciurus deppei ) |
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| Sciurus deppei | ||||||||||||
| Peters , 1863 |
Deppe's squirrel ( Sciurus deppei ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of squirrels ( Sciurus ). It is distributed in Central America from the east coast of Mexico over the Yucatán Peninsula to the northeast of Costa Rica .
features
Deppe's croissant reaches a head-trunk length of about 19.7 to 21 centimeters with a weight of about 200 to 290 grams. The tail becomes 16.9 to 18.1 centimeters long and is thus slightly shorter than the rest of the body. The squirrel is one of the smaller squirrels of the genus and is smaller in its distribution area than all other species with which the distribution area overlaps with the exception of Richmond's squirrel ( S. richmondi ) in Nicaragua . The color of the animals is variable, the basic color ranges from gray to yellowish-brown or rust-red-brown. The legs are dark gray or rust red. The top of the tail is black and interspersed with white hair, the underside yellowish-orange or rust-red and the tip of the tail is white.
distribution
Deppe's croissant is distributed in Central America from the east coast of Mexico in the states of Tamaulipas and Chiapas through the Yucatán Peninsula, Guatemala , Belize , El Salvador , Honduras and Nicaragua to the northeast of Costa Rica. The altitude distribution ranges from sea level in the lowlands to around 2800 meters.
Way of life
Deppes Hörnchen is a generalist and lives in very different habitats. The typical habitat is the dense tropical rainforest of the lowlands at altitudes of 200 to 1500 meters. In some parts of the distribution area, especially in Nicaragua, the animals occur up to an altitude of 3000 meters. They also live in cloud forests , drier oak and pine-oak forests in Mexico, in dry subtropical forests and in the area of rivers in the lowlands. In addition, they tolerate changes in habitat and, in some cases, forest felling, but not complete clearing.
The animals are diurnal with an activity maximum in the early morning and in the evening shortly before sunset and they are primarily arboreal. Foraging takes place in the branches, where they climb quickly and skillfully, but they can also be observed on the ground. They feed mainly on soft fruits, nuts and seeds, including palm nuts, beechnuts and various berries. The species probably plays a subordinate role in the spread of plants, as it does not create any seed stores and, as a seed "predator", consumes the seeds directly. An exception are probably the Guarea glabra and Guarea kunthiana in Costa Rica, which belong to the mahogany family , in whose two-stage spreading process the squirrels are involved: They loosen and eat the aril (seed coat) from the seeds and let them fall to the ground where they are be transported on by other rodents. Individual studies also report that the animals eat leaves, mushrooms or even insects, and they are also known to damage agricultural areas, especially maize plantations.
The animals are not social, but they can be observed in small groups and in rare cases they communicate with each other. Communication takes the form of short and high-pitched calls accompanied by a quick twitch of the tail. The population density of the animals was documented very differently, the range extends from 2.2 to 100 individuals per square kilometer. The activity radius of the animals is estimated at around 1.5 hectares . The nests ( Kobel ) build the squirrels in tree hollows and in the branches of the trees on branches and leaves. The breeding season is likely to be year round, but there are also studies that report a breeding season at the end of the dry season. The litter consists of two to eight, on average four, young animals.
The distribution area of Deppe's squirrel overlaps with that of other species of the genus, it is the red squirrel ( S. variegatoides ) in the entire distribution area, Allen's squirrel ( S. alleni ) in northeastern Mexico, the red-bellied squirrel ( S. aureogaster ) in southern Mexico and Guatemala, Peters' squirrel ( S. oculatus ) in central Mexico, the Yucatan squirrel ( S. yucatanensis ) on the Yucatán peninsula, Richmond's squirrel ( S. richmondi ) in Nicaragua and the redstart squirrel ( S. granatensis ) in the southern part of the distribution area. Compared to the red-bellied squirrel, the colorful squirrel and the Yucatan squirrel, with which it often occurs together in the same forests, the species shows a niche in other microhabitats ; Deppe's croissant stays here more on the ground and in the bushes, as it can obviously move better in dense vegetation.
Several ectoparasites were detected on Deppe's squirrels . It is the tick Ixodes tamaulipas , the chigger Eutrombicula alfreddugesi , the louse Enderleinellus deppei and Enderleinellus extremus and four types of fleas ( Kohlsia graphis , Orchopeas howardi , Plusaetis dolens , Trichopsylla graphis ).
Systematics
Deppe's squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of squirrels ( Sciurus ), which consists of almost 30 species. The first scientific description comes from the German zoologist and museum director Wilhelm Peters from 1863, who described the species using individuals from Papantla in the Mexican state of Veracruz . He named the species after Ferdinand Deppe , who together with Christian Julius Wilhelm Schiede examined the fauna and flora in the Mexican state of Veracruz from 1828 to 1830 and gave his collection to the Zoological Museum in Berlin.
Within the species, five subspecies are distinguished together with the nominate form :
- Sciurus deppei deppei : nominate form, lives in the northern Mexican state of Veracruz to western Honduras.
- Sciurus deppei matagalpae : In western Honduras and Nicaragua. The subspecies is yellowish-brown in its basic color with a yellow belly side.
- Sciurus deppei miravallensis : In the southern part of the range in Costa Rica. The underside is gray and slightly washed through with an ocher orange. The upper side including the feet are dark grayish-yellowish brown, somewhat darker on the middle of the back and the top of the head. The tail is edged white.
- Sciurus deppei negligens : In the Mexican states of Tamaulipas , San Luis Potosi , Hidalgo and in northern Veracruz. Compared to the nominate form, it has slightly longer ears and a gray-brown underside, the fur on the back is slightly lighter.
- Sciurus deppei vivax : On the Yucatán Peninsula . Compared to the nominate form, the subspecies has a pale rust-red dorsal fur and a larger snout.
Status, threat and protection
Deppe's croissant is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as "not endangered" (least concern). This is justified by the relatively large distribution area, the assumed high population figures and the occurrence in several protected areas as well as the adaptability to habitat changes. Potential sources of danger for the stocks are not known.
The species is described as relatively tolerant of habitat changes and human influences and disturbances. In studies of population density in areas heavily affected by tourism in Guatemala, the animals showed significantly higher population numbers in the areas affected by tourism than outside with 32.3 individuals / km 2 compared to 2.2 individuals / km 2 . In parts of Mexico, especially in Chiapas , the croissants are hunted in small numbers as meat suppliers and sold in markets.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012, ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 , pp. 49-50 .
- ↑ a b c d Sciurus deppei in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.1. Listed by: J. Koprowski, L. Roth, N. Woodman, J. Matson, L. Emmons, F. Reid, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
- ↑ a b c Sciurus deppei In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
- ↑ Bo Beolens, Michael Grayson, Michael Watkins: The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009; Pp. 106-107; ISBN 978-0-8018-9304-9 ( Google Books )
literature
- Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012, ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 , pp. 49-50 .
Web links
- Sciurus deppei inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.1. Listed by: J. Koprowski, L. Roth, N. Woodman, J. Matson, L. Emmons, F. Reid, 2008. Retrieved July 11, 2015.