Striped palm squirrel

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Striped palm squirrel
Northern Palm Squirrel (Funambulus pennantii)

Northern Palm Squirrel ( Funambulus pennantii )

Systematics
Superordinate : Euarchontoglires
Order : Rodents (Rodentia)
Subordination : Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family : Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily : Squirrel (Callosciurinae)
Genre : Striped palm squirrel
Scientific name
Funambulus
Lesson , 1835
Indian palm squirrel ( Funambulus palmarum ) in Sri Lanka

The striped palm squirrels ( funambulus ), also known as real palm squirrels , are a genus of South Asian squirrels . Outwardly, they are similar to chipmunks , but they are not closely related to them.

features

The fur is soft and, depending on the species, light gray, brown or black. Three light vertical stripes run down the back. The underside of the Layard palm squirrel is red-brown, of the other species it is white. The head-torso length is about 15 centimeters, plus about 15 centimeters of tail.

Way of life

The individual species live in different habitats . Some are at home in the treetop region of dense rainforests, others live in open bushland. The palm squirrels are diurnal and eat seeds, nuts, bark, leaves and flowers, and sometimes insects.

The behavior of the northern palm squirrel has been studied somewhat better than that of the other species. It lives in groups of about ten individuals who live in a tree and communicate with high-pitched calls that resemble bird calls. The males fight for the right to mate with a female. After a 40-day gestation period, one to five young are born. They are raised in a spherical nest made from plant fibers.

The rare Layard palm squirrel and the dark palm squirrel are classified as "endangered" ( vulnerable ) by the IUCN , as their habitats are becoming smaller and smaller due to forestry and forest fires. The remaining three species of striped palm squirrel are not threatened.

Systematics

The striped palm squirrels are an independent genus within the beautiful squirrels . The first scientific description of the genre comes from René Primevère Lesson in 1835.

The following species are included in this genus:

In older systematics, the striped palm squirrels were combined with some African squirrels to form the tribe Funambulini. In more recent works, however, they are assigned to the beautiful squirrels .

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b J.L. Koprowski, EA Goldstein, KR Bennett, C. Pereira Mendes: Genus Funambulus. In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (Eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Volume 6) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016, ISBN 978- 84-941892-3-4 , pp. 715-716.
  2. ↑ Funambulus In: Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; S. 161 ff. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1

literature

  • JL Koprowski, EA Goldstein, KR Bennett, C. Pereira Mendes: Genus Funambulus. In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (Eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Volume 6) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016, ISBN 978- 84-941892-3-4 , pp. 715-716.
  • Funambulus In: Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; S. 161 ff. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
  • Michael D. Carleton, Guy G. Musser: Order Rodentia. In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. Volume 2. 3rd edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 , pp. 745-1600.

Web links

Commons : Funambulus  - collection of images, videos and audio files