Himalayan chipmunk
| Himalayan chipmunk | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Himalayan chipmunk ( Tamiops mcclellandii ) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Tamiops mcclellandii | ||||||||||||
| ( Horsfield , 1840) |
The Himalayan chipmunk ( Tamiops mcclellandii , syn .: Tamiops macclellandi ) is a type of squirrel from the tree chipmunk genus ( Tamiops ). It occurs from north-east South Asia and the south of the People's Republic of China to northern and western Myanmar .
features
The Himalayan chipmunk reaches a head-torso length of about 10.0 to 12.5 centimeters with a weight of about 27 to 51 grams. The tail becomes 8.6 to 12 inches long and is thus slightly shorter to about the same length as the rest of the body. The hind foot becomes 27 to 32 millimeters long, the ear length is 15 to 22 millimeters. The fur of the animals is short, the basic color of the back is olive green to yellow. There are three brown to gray-black vertical stripes on it, which are separated by light brown stripes. The middle pair of light stripes is pale, the outer two stripes are bright. There is a pale stripe under the eye that merges into the lower light stripe of the back. The belly side is ocher, the tip of the tail black.
| 1 | · | 0 | · | 2 | · | 3 | = 22 |
| 1 | · | 0 | · | 1 | · | 3 |
The skull has a total length of 46 to 55 millimeters and corresponds in structure to that of other species of the genus. All species of the genus have a a maxillary per half incisor tooth formed incisor (incisor) to which a tooth gap ( diastema follows). This is followed by two premolars and three molars . In contrast, only one premolar is formed in the lower jaw. In total, the animals have a set of 22 teeth.
distribution
The Himalayan chipmunk is common in a large area from northeast South Asia to Southeast Asia. The distribution area in South Asia extends from Bhutan , Nepal and the southern People's Republic of China in the states of Yunnan and Xizang to parts of northern India in Arunachal Pradesh , Assam , Manipur , Mizoram , Nagaland and Sikkim . In Southeast Asia it occurs from Myanmar , via the north of Vietnam , the western Cambodia , Thailand and Laos to the north of Malaysia .
The altitude distribution in Nepal reaches up to about 1500 meters, in China the species mainly lives above 1700 meters. It usually occurs here from a height of 700 meters, more rarely in the lower flatlands, but remains below the habitats of the Swinhoe chipmunk ( Tamiops swinhoei ).
Way of life
The Himalayan chipmunk usually lives in tall trees in tropical to subtropical forests at high altitudes, but it is also found in fruit stocks and coconut plantations. The animals can be found individually as well as in pairs or in small groups, but they mainly live on tree trunks and only very rarely on the ground. The back strips on the tree trunks serve as camouflage for the animals on the tree bark. In the event of disturbances, the animals lie flat on the tree trunk and hide in tree hollows. As they move on the tree trunks, they alternate between quick runs and pauses with their tails outstretched, they also run quickly over the trees and branches and can also make great jumps.
The squirrels feed mainly on insects as well as on seeds and other parts of plants, including mistletoe. Communication takes place through harsh “chick” sounds.
In some areas of the range, the species occurs sympatric with the orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel ( Dremomys lokriah ).
Systematics
The Himalayan chipmunk is classified as an independent species within the genus of the tree chipmunk ( Tamiops ), which consists of four species. The first scientific description comes from Thomas Walker Horsfield from 1840, who described the species on the basis of individuals from Assam in India .
Within the species, six subspecies are distinguished including the nominate form :
- Tamiops mcclellandii mcclellandii : nominate form, in northern India and Myanmar and in the Chinese province of Xizang. The middle stripe is black and about four millimeters wide. It extends from the neck to the base of the tail, the two dark side stripes start at the shoulder and also extend to the base of the tail. The light side stripes are light yellow-brown in color and extend from the muzzle under the eyes and ears over the entire side of the body. The abdominal color is also yellow-brown without any red components.
- Tamiops mcclellandii barbei : in southern Myanmar. The back color is reddish to reddish-orange, the belly cinnamon to rust-red.
- Tamiops mcclellandii collinus in northeastern Thailand and in the adjacent areas in Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and southern China in the Yunnan Province. This form is more clearly striped than the nominate form and Tamiops m. inconstans , less red than Tamiops m. bareback , darker than Tamiops m. kongensis and more orange to yellow on the ventral side than Tamiops m. leucotis .
- Tamiops mcclellandii inconstans in the extreme north of Vietnam and in southern China in the Yunnan Province. The stripes on the back are indistinct, the belly is yellowish to orange in color.
- Tamiops mcclellandii kongensis in western and northern Thailand. The shape is a little paler than Tamiops m. Barbei , the basic color is more light gray and less orange-reddish than with Tamiops m. leucotis . The light back stripes are pale sand yellow and the color of the abdomen is ocher-sand brown.
- Tamiops mcclellandii leucotis in southern Thailand and the Malaysia Peninsula. The shape is not as red as Tamiops m. barely and yellowish on the belly.
Status, threat and protection
The Himalayan chipmunk is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified by the large distribution area and the assumed frequent occurrence of the species as well as the occurrence in several protected areas; the species is also very adaptable to changes in its habitat. There are no potential threats to the survival of this species, however, habitat changes with forest fires and increasing fragmentation into agricultural areas as well as hunting as a source of meat and fur represent local threats in South Asia.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Himalayan Striped 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. 188-189.
- ↑ 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. 196-197. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ^ Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Genus Tamiops. 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. 187 ff.
- ↑ a b c d Tamiops macclellandii in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.2. Submitted by: JW Duckworth, SD Lunde, S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- ↑ a b Tamiops mcclellandii 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. 196-197. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Himalayan Striped 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. 188-189.
Web links
- Tamiops macclellandii inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.2. Submitted by: JW Duckworth, SD Lunde, S. Molur, 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2014.