Cooper croissant

Cooper croissant
Systematics
Subordination :	Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family :	Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily :	Ground Squirrel (Xerinae)
Tribe :	Protoxerini
Genre :	African bush squirrel ( Paraxerus )
Type :	Cooper croissant
Scientific name
	Paraxerus cooperi
	Hayman , 1950

The Cooper squirrel or Cooper bush squirrel ( Paraxerus cooperi ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the African bush squirrel ( Paraxerus ). It occurs in mountain forests in the border region of Cameroon and Nigeria . Little information is available about the species and sightings are rare.

features

The Cooper-croissant reaches an average head-trunk length of about 19.2 to 21.2 centimeters, the tail is about 16.1 to 20.0 centimeters long. The weight is around 250 grams. The rear foot length is about 41 to 45 millimeters, the ear length 15 to 17 millimeters. The basic color of the animals is dark to black-brown, which is more olive green to golden brown on the sides of the body and hips, and the animals are speckled cream-sand-colored. The hair of the back fur is dark gray to black at the base, followed by a light sand-colored to golden band and a black tip of the hair. The hair of the peritoneum is medium gray at the base and golden yellow at the top. The head color corresponds to the back color. The ears are darkly pigmented and largely hairless with yellow-pointed hair on the outside. The lips and cheeks are also golden yellow. The front legs as well as the top of the front and rear feet are reddish, the hips dark red. The tail is comparatively long, it is greenish gold on the top without banding and on the underside it has a golden yellow stripe.

1	·	0	·	2	·	3	= 22
1	·	0	·	1	·	3	= 22

African bush squirrel tooth formula

The skull has a total length of 44.4 to 46.4 millimeters and a width of 26.2 to 27.3 millimeters. Like all species of the genus has the type in the upper jaw half per one to a incisor tooth formed incisor (incisor) to which a tooth gap ( diastema follows). This is followed by two premolars and three molars . The teeth in the lower jaw correspond to those in the upper jaw, but only with a premolar. In total, the animals have a set of 22 teeth. The row of molars from the first premolar to the third molar is 8.3 to 9.0 millimeters. The bony palate ends at the anterior margin of the last molars.

The Cooper squirrel is similar to the green bush squirrel ( Paraxerus poensis ), but this is smaller and differs from the Cooper squirrel in the lack of reddish parts on the legs and feet.

distribution

The Cooper croissant is found in Africa in the mountain forests of the border region between Cameroon and Nigeria . The species from the Kupe , the Oku and the Rumpi Hills in southern Cameroon north of the Sanaga and the Gotel Mountains in Nigeria are documented.

Way of life

Only very limited information is available about the way of life of the Cooper croissant; only two museum specimens were known until 1967. The occurrences are limited to the undergrowth of the isolated mountain forests and forest remnants above 1400 meters in the distribution area. The animals are diurnal and tree-living like other bush squirrels, preferring the branches of the undergrowth. Little is known about the composition of the food, the consumption of the flowers of the West African butter tree ( Pentadesma butyraceum ) is documented.

Systematics

The Cooper squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the African bush squirrel ( Paraxerus ), which consists of eleven species. The first scientific description comes from Robert William Hayman from 1950, who described the species using individuals from the Rumpi Hills near Kumba in Cameroon. The species was named after LG Cooper, who sent a collection of small mammals to the British Museum (Natural History) , including the type material of the Cooper croissant. No information is available about the namesake. Due to the specific dental characteristics, the species was partly placed in its own genera Aethosciurus (together with the green bush squirrel ( Paraxerus poensis )) and Montisciurus ( monotypical ).

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

Status, threat and protection

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) classifies the Cooper croissant as "data deficient" due to the very inadequate data on distribution and lifestyle and accordingly not classified in a hazard category.

supporting documents

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Richard W. Thorington Jr., Chad E. Shennum: Paraxerus cooperi, Cooper's Bush Squirrel. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, pp. 79-80; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 237-238. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
↑ Peter Grubb: Genus Paraxerus, Bush Squirrels. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, pp. 72-74; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .
↑ ^a ^b Paraxerus cooperi in the Red List of Threatened Species of IUCN 2016-1. Posted by: P. Grubb, 2008. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
^ ^A ^b Paraxerus cooperi . In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): 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; P. 85; ISBN 978-0-8018-9304-9 .

literature

Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 237-238. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Richard W. Thorington Jr., Chad E. Shennum: Paraxerus cooperi, Cooper's Bush Squirrel. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, pp. 79-80; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .

Web links

Paraxerus cooperi inthe IUCN 2016-1 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: P. Grubb, 2008. Retrieved July 31, 2016.

[Kingdon_2013-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Richard W. Thorington Jr., Chad E. Shennum: Paraxerus cooperi, Cooper's Bush Squirrel. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, pp. 79-80; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .

[Thorington_et_al._2012-2] Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 237-238. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1

[Grubb_2013-3] Peter Grubb: Genus Paraxerus, Bush Squirrels. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, pp. 72-74; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .

[IUCN-4] Paraxerus cooperi in the Red List of Threatened Species of IUCN 2016-1. Posted by: P. Grubb, 2008. Retrieved July 31, 2016.

[Wilson_&_Reeder_2005-5] A ^b Paraxerus cooperi . In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): 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 .

[Beolens_et_al._2009-6] Bo Beolens, Michael Grayson, Michael Watkins: The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009; P. 85; ISBN 978-0-8018-9304-9 .