Callospermophilus
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Gold-mantled ground squirrel ( Callospermophilus lateralis ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Callospermophilus | ||||||||||||
| Merriam , 1897 |
Callospermophilus is a genus of real ground squirrels that is distributed in three species in North America .
features
The species of the genus are small to medium-sized ground squirrels and have a head-trunk length of about 20.6 to 31.2 centimeters. The tail is between 5.2 and 11.6 inches long, the tail length usually corresponds to between 37 and 55% of the body length. It is short and thin, sometimes slightly bushy. The ears are comparatively large with 15 to 25 millimeters in length, the rear foot length is 31 to 48 millimeters. The species clearly differ in their external appearance from other ground squirrels, especially their coloring is striking. The back color is pale to bright red-brown. In all three types, two paired cream-white stripes run from the ear over the back, the middle of which is brown. These stripes are flanked by dark brown to black lines, the flanks of the animals are colored sand-colored to gray. The head and the front body are orange to golden brown and thus separated from the rest of the body. The coat is longer and less shiny than other types of Marmotini. The females of the Callospermophilus species have four to five pairs of teats .
The Callospermophilus species differ from the similarly colored antelope pies ( Ammospermophilus ) mainly in the black lines of the back drawing, the approach of the light drawing on the ear, the detached front body and the size.
The skull essentially corresponds to that of other ground squirrels with a moderate snout. The molars are medium-sized and brachyodontic , the premolar P3 is relatively small. The incisors are upright (orthodont) or slightly pointing backwards (ophistodont) with relatively long and narrow tooth cavities.
distribution
The genus Callospermophilus is distributed in North America from the southwestern United States to central Mexico, whereby the distribution areas of the individual species do not overlap ( allopatric distribution ). The altitude distribution is at altitudes of 1,000 to 4,000 meters.
- The distribution area of the Sierra Madre ground squirrel is limited to the high altitudes above 3,000 meters in the Mexican states of Chihuahua and Durango .
- The Cascade Goldjacket Ground Squirrel occurs in the Cascade Mountains in northwest North America from British Columbia in southwest Canada to the Columbia River in Washington .
- The gold mantle ground squirrel is common in several subspecies over an area from the Canadian Rocky Mountains to southern New Mexico , California and Nevada .
Way of life
The species of the genus live mainly in the area of mountain pastures and surrounding habitats. They are omnivorous and feed mainly on seeds, leaves, mushrooms, fruits, as well as insects, small mammals, eggs and young birds. They usually live solitary, but can also appear in small groups near food sources. They are diurnal and overwinter in hibernation .
Systematics
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Phylogenetic systematics of the Marmotini according to Herron et al. 2004
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Callospermophilus is a genus of squirrels , where they are assigned to the ground squirrels (Xerinae) and therein the real ground squirrels (Xerini). The first scientific description was made by Clinton Hart Merriam in 1897 with the gold-coated ground squirrel as the type species. Then the species were assigned to the ground squirrel (genus Spermophilus ) together with other taxa that are now considered genera and treated as a subgenus.
A molecular biological study confirmed Callospermophilus in 2004 as a monophyletic group . This was also identified as a sister group of the genus Otospermophilus and therefore newly described at the genus level. The taxon formed jointly with Otospermophilus is opposite to all of the remaining Marmotini with the exception of the antelope pebble ( Ammospermophilus ) and the genus Notocitellus as a sister group. In the craniometric analysis, a match of characteristics with the animals of the genus Ictidomys was found, which is attributed to convergent developments.
There are three types of the genus:
- Gold-mantled ground squirrel ( Callospermophilus lateralis )
- Cascade gold-coated ground squirrel ( Callospermophilus saturatus )
- Sierra Madre Ground Squirrel ( Callospermophilus madrensis )
The name Callospermophilus is derived from the Greek words kallos for “beautiful”, spermatos for “seed” and phileo for “love”, which translates as “beautiful seed lovers”.
Hazard and protection
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) classifies both the gold-jacketed bricks and the cascading gold-jacketed bricks as "least concern" due to their comparatively large distribution area and stable stocks. The Sierra Madre ground squirrel, on the other hand, is listed as a potentially endangered species ("near threatened") due to the limited habitat in the pine forests of the highlands and the changes in habitat due to logging.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Kristofer M. Helgen, F. Russell Cole, Lauren E. Helgen & Don E. Wilson: Generic revision in the Holarctic ground squirrel genus Spermophilus. Journal of Mammalogy, 90, pp. 270-305, 2009
- ↑ a b c d Matthew D. Herron, Todd A. Castoe, Christopher L. Parkinson: Sciurid phylogeny and the paraphyly of holarctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 31, 2004; Pp. 1015-1030. ( doi : 10.1016 / j.ympev.2003.09.015 , full text , PMID 15120398 )
- ^ Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 292-299. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ Callospermophilus lateralis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Listed by: AV Linzey, NatureServe (G. Hammerson), 2008. Retrieved April 30, 2015., Callospermophilus saturatus on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Listed by: AV Linzey, NatureServe (G. Hammerson), 2008. Retrieved April 30, 2015.
- ↑ Callospermophilus madrensis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Posted by: ST Álvarez-Castañeda, I. Castro-Arellano, T. Lacher, E. Vázquez, 2008. Accessed April 30, 2015.