Bangka pointed squirrel
| Bangka pointed squirrel | ||||||||||||
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| Tupaia discolor | ||||||||||||
| Lyon , 1906 |
The Bangka pointed squirrel ( Tupaia discolor ) is endemic to the Indonesian island of Bangka, east of Sumatra .
features
The Bangka pointed squirrel is a medium-sized pointed squirrel and reaches a head-trunk length of 19 to 20 cm, has a 16 to 19 cm long tail and 4.8 to 4.9 cm long hind feet. The weight of the animals has not yet been determined. The hairs of the tail are longer at the base and get shorter and shorter towards the tip. The front half of the body is predominantly reddish brown in color, the rear half is gray. Like many other Tupaia species, it shows light, short stripes on the shoulders. The face is gray-brown. The belly is tan to ivory in color.
Way of life
So far, nothing is known about the behavior, lifestyle, diet, activity patterns and reproduction of the Bangka shrew. It is likely diurnal and, like other pointed squirrels, will feed primarily on insects and fruits.
Systematics
The Bangka pointed squirrel was scientifically described for the first time in 1906 by the American zoologist Marcus Ward Lyon as a subspecies of the common pointed squirrel ( Tupaia glis ). Careful morphometric studies of the proportions of the hands eventually led to the Bangka shrew being recognized as a separate species in 2013.
Danger
Precise information cannot be given about the population and possible endangerment of the Bangka shrew, as too little data is available. Its range on a single island is relatively small.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Melissa Hawkins: Family Tupaiidae (Treeshrews). In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 8: Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2018, ISBN 978-84-16728-08-4 , pp. 242–269 (p. 265)
- ↑ Eric J. Sargis, Neal Woodman, Aspen T. Reese, Link E. Olson: Using hand proportions to test taxonomic boundaries within the Tupaia glis species complex (Scandentia, Tupaiidae). Journal of Mammalogy 94 (1), 2013, pp. 183-201 DOI: 10.1644 / 11-MAMM-A-343.1