Large-ear sliding bilch
| Large-ear sliding bilch | ||||||||||||
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| Idiurus macrotis | ||||||||||||
| Miller , 1898 |
The large-eared sliding bilch ( Idiurus macrotis ) is one of the two types of sliding bilch . It occurs in several separate areas of sub-Saharan Africa in the equatorial rainforest.
features
The Großohr-Gleitbilch reaches a head-trunk length of about 7.3 to 10.5 centimeters, in addition there is a tail about 11.0 to 18.6 centimeters long. The weight is about 26 grams. The rear foot length is 19 to 22 millimeters, the ear length 17 to 18 millimeters. This makes it larger than the related Zenker's sliding bilch ( Idiurus zenkeri ), but still significantly smaller than all other thorn-tailed squirrels. The fur on the back is sepia gray to mouse gray, the hair is dark chocolate brown at the base. Individual longer hairs protrude from the entire back fur. The peritoneum is somewhat paler, sometimes tinged with pink, and the hair is black-gray at the base. The sliding membrane is hairless close to the body, but covered with short, dark hair towards the outer edge. The ears are relatively large and brown, largely hairless. The vibrissae are very long and black.
The front and rear legs are short, the ankles and joints are covered with thin tufts of hair, and the toes have hair combs. The tail is thin, very long and reaches a length that corresponds to about 150% of the length of the head and trunk. On the outside it has feather-like and long, dark hair. The underside has two rows of very short bristle-like hairs and small horn scales, which are arranged in horizontal rows of three or more scales at the base of the tail.
The skull has an average total length of 26.1 millimeters (25 to 27 millimeters) and an average width of 14.8 millimeters (13.6 to 16.1 millimeters). The females have two pairs of teats .
Distribution and habitats
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The large-eared glide bilge occurs in several separate areas of sub-Saharan Africa in the equatorial tropical rainforest. The distribution areas are in West Africa in Liberia , in the Ivory Coast , in Ghana and in the southeast of Nigeria , in Central Africa in the south of Cameroon , in Equatorial Guinea , in the northwest of Gabun and in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . Historically, the species has also been recorded south of Lake Victoria in Tanzania .
Way of life
The large ear Gleitbilch is nocturnal and almost exclusively arboreal ( arboricol ), he is also a very good slider. The animals spend the day in tree hollows of different tree species. They are gregarious , so they gather to form numerous animals and also share a tree hole with several individuals. In 1940 in Cameroon up to 100 sliding bilges (both species) were described in individual trees, in Gabon individual pairs, but also groups of up to 40 individuals per cave were found. In groups they snuggle up like bats together and the cavity may, in addition Gleitbilchen other anomalure African dormice as Graphiurus nagtglasii or bat species as Hipposideros cyclops or tadarida accommodate. They leave the burrow in the early evening and remain active until morning, remaining solitary while foraging for food. The animals feed on herbivores mainly of various fruits, they also nibble on bark and resin sources. In the case of a single male large-eared sliding bilge, which was equipped with a transmitter and observed, the range of action within 48 hours was about three hectares and it covered about 780 meters in one night.
Very little information is available on reproduction. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a single embryo was found in five captured females. Pregnant animals were recorded between June and August and in Cameroon females with pups were recorded in June.
Systematics
The Großohr-Gleitbilch is classified as an independent species within the genus of the Gleitbilche ( Idiurus ) within the Dormouse (Gliridae), which consists of two species and includes Zenker's Gleitbilch ( Idiurus zenkeri ) in addition to it. The first scientific description comes from the zoologist Gerrit Smith Miller from 1898, who described the species on the basis of individuals from Efulen in Cameroon.
Apart from the nominate form, no subspecies are distinguished within the species . When synonyms are Idiurus cansdalei Hayman , 1946 , Idiurus langi J.A. Allen , 1922 and Idiurus panga J.A. Allen , considered in 1922 , with Idiurus cansdalei as a subspecies and Idiurus langi and Idiurus panga as separate species.
Status, threat and protection
The large-ear sliding bilge is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified by the comparatively large distribution area, which, despite the spotty proven occurrences, is assumed to be more coherent than is known. The populations and population numbers are not known, but no threats to the existence of this species are assumed. In some cases, deforestation could pose a regional threat to the species.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Brian J. Stafford, Richard W. Thorington, Jr .: Idiurus macrotis, Long-Eared Pygmy Anomalure (Long-Eared Scaly-Tailed Flying 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. 612-613; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .
- ↑ a b c Idiurus macrotis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.3. Posted by: R. Hutterer, J. Decher, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2015.
- ↑ a b c d Idiurus macrotis ( Memento of the original from December 20, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 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 .
literature
- Brian J. Stafford, Richard W. Thorington, Jr .: Idiurus macrotis, Long-Eared Pygmy Anomalure (Long-Eared Scaly-Tailed Flying 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. 612-613; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .
Web links
- Idiurus macrotis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.3. Posted by: R. Hutterer, J. Decher, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2015.