Finlayson croissant

Finlayson croissant
	Finlayson croissants in Bangkok, Thailand; probably subspecies Callosciurus finlaysonii bocourti
Systematics
Order :	Rodents (Rodentia)
Subordination :	Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family :	Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily :	Squirrel (Callosciurinae)
Genre :	Real beautiful squirrels ( Callosciurus )
Type :	Finlayson croissant
Scientific name
	Callosciurus finlaysonii
	( Horsfield , 1823)

The Finlayson squirrel ( Callosciurus finlaysonii ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the real beautiful squirrel ( Callosciurus ). It occurs in Southeast Asia in Myanmar , Thailand , Cambodia , Laos and Vietnam , and it was naturalized in Singapore and also in Europe, namely in Italy .

features

The Finlayson croissant reaches a head-torso length of 19 to 22 centimeters and a weight of around 280 grams. The tail reaches a length of about 17 to 22 centimeters and is therefore about as long as the rest of the body. The coloration of the animals is very variable and can vary greatly both within and between the subspecies. The spectrum ranges from completely white to red to completely black animals and various combinations of these and other colors in the back and peritoneum.

distribution

Distribution area (brown) of the Finlayson squirrel according to IUCN. Circle center (Singapore) = naturalized. The naturalization region in Italy is not shown.

Finlayson croissants in Ayutthaya

The Finlayson croissant is found in Southeast Asia in parts from Myanmar , Thailand , Cambodia and Laos to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam . In addition, it was naturalized in Singapore and also in Europe, in Italy .

The species was introduced in Italy in 1981, with populations starting from a pair released in 1981 in a park in Acqui Terme in northwestern Italy. In 1998, the total number of animals in the park was estimated at 40 to 50, and there were more animals in the surrounding gardens and trees.

Way of life

The Finlayson's squirrel is like all the other species of the genus primarily arboreal ( arboricol ), but rarely on the ground. It occurs in numerous forest habitats, from open forests to coconut plantations to dense forest stands. It is also very adaptable to habitat changes and conversions.

The activity and way of life of the Finlayson squirrel were mainly investigated in the population introduced in Italy, while only comparatively few data are available from the natural distribution areas. The species is diurnal and feeds mainly on plants, especially fruits, seeds, flowers and buds. Mainly in winter it also eats bark and tree sap. It also feeds on insects less often, here mostly ants. Most of the activity time is spent looking for food; in summer this proportion decreases significantly due to the availability of food.

Systematics

The Finlayson squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the real beautiful squirrel ( Callosciurus ), which consists of 15 species. The first scientific description comes from Thomas Walker Horsfield from 1823; he described the species from the Thai island of Sichang in the Gulf of Thailand .

Within the species, including the nominate form , at least 15 subspecies are distinguished depending on the author:

Island shapes:

Callosciurus finlaysonii finlaysonii: nominate form; Occurrence on the Thai island of Sichang in the Gulf of Thailand . The nominate form is completely white with a yellowish tinge on the back.
Callosciurus finlaysonii albivexilli: Occurrence on the Thai island of Kut . The shape is black with a white tip of the tail.
Callosciurus finlaysonii folletti: Occurrence on the Thai island of Phai . The shape is gray-white.
Callosciurus finlaysonii frandseni: Occurrence on the Thai island of Chang . The shape is red with gray flanks.
Callosciurus finlaysonii germaini: Occurrence on the Vietnamese island of Côn Son . The shape is completely black.
Callosciurus finlaysonii harmandi: Occurrence on the Vietnamese island of Phu Quốc . The shape has a red-brown fur on the back, the belly is light red and the tail is greyish.
Callosciurus finlaysonii trotteri: Occurrence on the Thai island of Lan . The shape is gray with a white tail and black feet.

Mainland forms:

Callosciurus finlaysonii annellatus: Occurrence in southern Laos as well as in central and eastern Cambodia. The shape is red-brown with a creamy white band at the base of the tail.
Callosciurus finlaysonii bocourti: Occurrence in Central Thailand. The shape is variable with a black back and a white to creamy white belly and head.
Callosciurus finlaysonii boonsongi: Found in northeastern Thailand. The shape is almost completely black on the back and gray on the abdomen with a white border around the ears.
Callosciurus finlaysonii cinnamomeus: Found in southeastern Thailand. The shape is usually completely red-brown, sometimes olive-aguti-colored.
Callosciurus finlaysonii ferrugineus: Occurrence in Myanmar. The shape is completely red.
Callosciurus finlaysonii menamicus: Occurrence in northern central Thailand. The shape is completely red with the exception of the sandy-white tip of the tail.
Callosciurus finlaysonii nox: Occurrence in the coastal area of Thailand southeast of Bangkok. The shape is completely black.
Callosciurus finlaysonii sinistralis: Occurrence in north-western Thailand. The shape is red-brown with a creamy white band at the base of the tail.
Callosciurus finlaysonii williamsoni: Occurrence in Laos. The shape has a red to orange color on the back and a well-defined chestnut color on the abdomen.

Status, threat and protection

Finlayson croissants as a pet in a cage

The Finlayson squirrel is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) due to its large distribution area, its very good adaptability to habitat changes, its occurrence in protected areas and the likely relatively stable populations. No specific risks for the stocks are known.

As an introduced species and a potentially invasive species , the Finlayson squirrel is viewed and observed primarily in Italy.

supporting documents

↑ ^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. 139-142, ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 .

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Callosciurus finlaysonii in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.2. Submitted by: JW Duckworth, R. Timmins, R. Paar, 2008. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
^ ^A ^b ^c ^d Sandro Bertolino, Peter J. Mazzoglio, Manuela Vaiana, Italo Currado: Activity budget and foraging behavior of introduced Callosciurus finlaysonii (Rodentia, Sciuridae) in Italy. Journal of Mammalogy 85 (2), 2004; Pp. 254-259. doi : 10.1644 / BPR-009
↑ ^a ^b ^c Callosciurus finlaysonii 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. 139-142, ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 .

Web links

Commons : Finlayson croissant - collection of images, videos, and audio files

Callosciurus finlaysonii inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.2. Submitted by: JW Duckworth, R. Timmins, R. Paar, 2008. Retrieved October 25, 2014.

[Thorington_et_al._2012-1] Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 139-142, ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 .