Mountain Piglet Squirrel

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Mountain Piglet Squirrel
Systematics
Order : Rodents (Rodentia)
Subordination : Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family : Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily : Squirrel (Callosciurinae)
Genre : Piglet squirrel ( Hyosciurus )
Type : Mountain Piglet Squirrel
Scientific name
Hyosciurus Heinrichi
Archbold & Tate , 1935

The mountain piglet squirrel ( Hyosciurus heinrichi ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of piglet squirrels ( Hyosciurus ). It occurs in the mountainous regions on the island of Sulawesi , which belongs to Indonesia .

features

The mountain piglet croissant reaches a head-trunk length of about 19.5 to 24 centimeters with a weight of about 220 to 370 grams. The tail is about 6.5 to 12 centimeters long, which is significantly shorter than the rest of the body. The back and the tail of the animals are dark brown in color with distinct spotting with black and sandy brown spots. The underside is dark brown-gray with variable white markings in the middle of the abdomen, which can appear as an indistinct row of spots or interrupted white stripes of chest spots from the neck to the base of the tail. The eyes are surrounded by a hairless dark, yellowish-brown ring. In the nape of the neck there is a field of bristly, 30 to 40 millimeter long hair that goes against the coat .

The mountain piglet squirrel differs from the very similar lowland piglet squirrel ( Hyosciurus ileile ) mainly in its white tummy markings and the darker back color. It is also slightly smaller and has slightly longer ears and a longer snout.

distribution

The mountain piglet croissant occurs in the central mountain regions of the island of Sulawesi , which belongs to Indonesia . It lives at altitudes of around 1500 to 2300 meters.

Way of life

The mountain piglet croissant lives in the primary forests of the middle to high elevations of the island. It is diurnal and mainly lives on the forest floor, where it feeds on insects, worms, fruits and seeds. The foraging for food takes place on the forest floor as the animals look for potential food between the leaves with their long snouts and front legs equipped with claws. Compared to the lowland piglet squirrel, the mountain piglet squirrel occurs only in very low population densities. This is attributed to the lower proportion of oaks and the very limited number of acorns as a source of food in the range of the mountain piglet squirrel.

Communication takes place through chirping sounds that are more reminiscent of birds; Alarm calls turn into hectic "chatter".

The females have litters of one or two pups. They have three pairs of teats , two pairs in the groin and one in the abdomen.

Systematics

The mountain piglet squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of piglet squirrels ( Hyosciurus ), which consists of two species. The first scientific description comes from Richard Archbold and George Tate from 1935, who described the species and the genus using individuals from the Latimodjong Mountains on Sulawesi. The species was named after the German zoologist Gerd Heinrich , who collected the animals on Sulawesi and passed them on for scientific description.

In the following year, Tate & Archbold described the lowland piglet squirrel as a subspecies Hyosciurus heinrichi ileile next to the nominate form Hyosciurus heinrichi heinrichi , which is now regarded as a separate species.

Apart from the nominate form, no further subspecies are distinguished within the species .

Status, threat and protection

The mountain piglet squirrel is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as Least Concern, although it is only found in its area of ​​distribution in a very low population density. This is justified by the fact that the habitat of the species is not endangered at altitudes above 1500 meters and therefore there is no risk of a population threat for the species living there.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 167. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
  2. ↑ a b c Hyosciurus heinrichi in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Posted by: L. Ruedas, 2008. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  3. ^ Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 168-169. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
  4. ↑ a b c d Hyosciurus heinrichi 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 .
  5. ↑ a b G.HH Tate , R. Archbold : Results of the Archbold Expeditions. No. 1. A new genus and species of squirrel from Celebes. American Museum Novitates 801, May 17, 1935, pp. 1-6. ( Full text )
  6. ^ GHH Tate , R. Archbold : Results of the Archbold Expeditions. No. 9. A new race of Hyosciurus. American Museum Novitates 846, April 29, 1936, pp. 1-6. ( Full text )

literature

  • Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 167. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1

Web links