Indian pointed squirrel
| Indian pointed squirrel | ||||||||||||
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An Indian pointed squirrel ( Anathana ellioti ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Anathana | ||||||||||||
| Lyon , 1913 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Anathana ellioti | ||||||||||||
| ( Waterhouse , 1850) |
The Indian pointed squirrel ( Anathana ellioti ), also known as the Madras pointed squirrel , is a species of mammal belonging to the family of the pointed squirrel (Tupaiidae). It is the only representative of the genus Anathana and differs from the other shrews in its large, hairy ears and in details in the skull structure and in the teeth.
Indian pointed squirrels are native to India south of the Ganges and thus have the westernmost distribution area of all pointed squirrels. Their habitat are forests and rocky areas, in contrast to many common pointed squirrels, they tend to avoid human settlements.
These animals reach a head body length of 18 to 20 centimeters, their tail is as long as the body, and their weight is around 160 grams. Their fur is reddish to yellowish in color on the upper side, sometimes with a whitish pattern, especially on the light shoulder stripe. The bottom is generally lighter.
They are diurnal and retire to sleep in crevices or caves in the ground. They are good at climbing, but they rarely stay in trees, preferring rocky terrain. These animals live solitary. Their diet consists of insects such as butterflies and caterpillars, as well as ants and fruits.
The main threat to the Indian shrews lies in the loss of their habitat due to forest clearing and the conversion of their habitat into fields and settlements. The IUCN lists them as not endangered.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0801857899 .
Web links
- Anathana ellioti in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008 Posted by: S. Molur, 2008. Accessed January 2 of 2009.