Chinese red squirrel

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Chinese red squirrel
Dremomys pyrrhomerus.jpg

Chinese red squirrel ( Dremomys pyrrhomerus )

Systematics
Order : Rodents (Rodentia)
Subordination : Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family : Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily : Squirrel (Callosciurinae)
Genre : Red Squirrel ( Dremomys )
Type : Chinese red squirrel
Scientific name
Dremomys pyrrhomerus
( Thomas , 1895)

The Chinese red squirrel ( Dremomys pyrrhomerus ) is a type of squirrel from the genus of the red squirrel ( Dremomys ). It occurs in the center and south of the People's Republic of China , on the island of Hainan and in the far north of Vietnam .

features

The Chinese red squirrel reaches a head-trunk length of about 19.4 to 21 centimeters. The tail reaches a length of 14 to 16.2 centimeters and is thus significantly shorter than the rest of the body. The hind foot becomes 50 to 55 millimeters long, the ear length is 22 to 24 millimeters. The animals are monochrome gray-brown on top with olive and reddish shading. They resemble the common red squirrel ( D. rufigenis ) and the robin squirrel ( Dremomys gularis ), but have conspicuous reddish-brown spots on the hip. The cheeks and sides of the body, on the other hand, are not particularly red, but have yellowish spots behind the eyes. The ventral side is white to gray. The tail is speckled with white on top and bright red on the underside.

distribution

The Chinese red squirrel occurs in the center and south of the People's Republic of China , on the island of Hainan and in the far north of Vietnam . Within China, the species lives in the provinces of Guangxi , Hunan , Guangdong , Fujian , Anhui , Sichuan and Hubei . The animals found on Hainan form their own subspecies.

Way of life

Little information is available about the way of life of the Chinese red squirrel. The habitat is rocky and, unlike other species of the genus, the species is almost exclusively ground-dwelling and lives in holes in the ground. During the winter the animals are irregularly active.

Systematics

The Chinese red-cheeked squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of red-cheeked squirrels ( Dremomys ), which consists of six species. The first scientific description comes from Oldfield Thomas from 1895, who described the species on the basis of an individual from the region near the city of Yichang on the Yangtze River . The robin squirrel ( Dremomys gularis ) was temporarily assigned to this species, but is now considered a separate species.

Within the species, in addition to the nominate form Dremomys pyrrhomerus pyrrhomerus, a second subspecies is distinguished with Dremomys pyrrhomerus riudonensis from the island of Hainan . Smith & Yan Xie 2009 also differentiate Dremomys pyrrhomerus melli as a further subspecies.

Status, threat and protection

The Chinese red squirrel is classified as not endangered (leat concern) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified by the comparatively large distribution area and the assumed frequent occurrence of the species. Potential sources of danger for the population of this species are not known.

supporting documents

  1. ^ A b Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Red-Hipped Squirrel. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , pp. 186-187.
  2. ↑ a b c d Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 156-157. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
  3. ↑ a b c Dremomys pyrrhomerus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.2. Listed by: Andrew T. Smith , CH Johnston, 2008. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
  4. ↑ a b c d Dremomys pyrrhomerus 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 .

literature

  • Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 156-157. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
  • Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Red-Hipped Squirrel. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , pp. 186-187.

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