Low croissant
| Low croissant | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Sundasciurus lowii | ||||||||||||
| ( Thomas , 1892) |
The low-squirrel ( Sundasciurus lowii ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the Sunda tree squirrel ( Sundasciurus ). It occurs in Southeast Asia on the Malay Peninsula and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, as well as some smaller surrounding islands.
features
The low croissant reaches a head-torso length of about 13.0 to 14.4 centimeters with a weight of about 76 to 84 grams. The tail is about 8.2 to 8.9 centimeters long, which is significantly shorter than the rest of the body. The back color of the animals is uniformly brown and speckled. The ventral side is creamy white, partly with a reddish tinge. There is a reddish-brown ring around the eyes, although this is sometimes only indistinctly.
From the Sunda slender squirrel ( Sundasciurus tenuis ), which occurs sympatricly in large parts of the distribution area , the low squirrel differs mainly in its shorter and bushy tail and its creamy-white belly color.
distribution
The low squirrel occurs in Southeast Asia on the Malay Peninsula (in the south of Thailand and in western Malaysia ) as well as on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo as well as on some smaller surrounding islands. In Borneo the species lives in the Indonesian part of Kalimantan as well as in the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak and the Sultanate of Brunei . On the Malay Peninsula, the species lives in the lowlands and in the lower area of the mountain forests up to at least 914 meters. On Borneo it also lives mostly below 900 meters, but can also occur in the Kelabit Mountains in Sarawak up to an altitude of 1400 meters.
Way of life
The low-squirrel is common in primary and secondary forests of two-winged fruit trees , which are common in Southeast Asia. It lives mainly in the undergrowth with numerous branches lying on the ground and in the bushes of the forests and rarely goes to great heights.
The squirrel is diurnal and can often be found in the early morning and afternoon. It mainly feeds on bark, plus fruits, mushrooms and insects. The foraging takes place near the ground on standing and lying trees as well as on the ground. It builds nests from plant fibers and leaves in tree hollows, in tree stumps or on the ground and, less often, in higher areas, which resemble those of the tana ( Tupaia tana ), a shrewd squirrel in Sumatra and Borneo. The females have two to three young per litter.
Systematics
The low-squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the Sunda tree squirrel ( Sundasciurus ), which consists of fifteen to seventeen species. The first scientific description comes from Oldfield Thomas from 1892, who described the species using individuals from Sarawak on Borneo. The species also contained the now independent Mentawai tree squirrel ( Sundasciurus fraterculus ).
Within the species, seven subspecies are distinguished together with the nominate form :
- Sundasciurus l. lowii : nominate form; It lives on Borneo and corresponds to the description for the species.
- Sundasciurus l. balae : lives on the Batu Islands belonging to Indonesia and has an almost completely white belly.
- Sundasciurus l. bangueyae : lives on the Pulau Banggi off the northern tip of Borneo. The back color is dark olive green to brown.
- Sundasciurus l. humilis : In the east of the island of Sumatra. The subspecies corresponds to Sundasciurus l. seimundi , however, is darker.
- Sundasciurus l. natunensis : On the Indonesian Natuna Islands . The subspecies is smaller than the nominate form, with short feet and longer ears. The back color is mottled red-brown, the belly is white with a distinct reddish tinge. There is a red-brown spot behind the eyes, a black spot behind the ears is missing. Since the type specimen was placed in alcohol, the red color of the same could have been intensified later.
- Sundasciurus l. robinsoni : on the Malay Peninsula; corresponds to the nominate form, but is smaller.
- Sundasciurus l. seimundi : on the island of Kundur, part of the Indonesian Riau Islands, in the Malay Archipelago . It corresponds to Sundasciurus l. robinsoni , where the dark back color extends almost to the side of the abdomen and narrows the white abdominal area.
Sundasciurus natunensis and Sundasciurus robinsoni were declared separate species in mid-2020, as theysplit offfrom theevolutionary line leadingto Sundasciurus lowii before the Pleistocene .
Status, threat and protection
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) lists the low croissant as Least Concern. This is justified by the large distribution area and the frequent occurrence as well as the adaptability to changed and secondary habitat conditions. There are no known dangers to the population.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 188-189. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d e Sundasciurus lowii in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Listed by: JW Duckworth, E. Meijaard, KH Han, 2008. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
- ↑ a b c d Sundasciurus lowii 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 .
- ↑ Arlo Hinckley, Melissa TR Hawkins, Anang S. Achmadi, Jesús E. Maldonado and Jennifer A. Leonard. 2020. Ancient Divergence Driven by Geographic Isolation and Ecological Adaptation in Forest Dependent Sundaland Tree Squirrels. Front. Ecol. Evol. DOI: 10.3389 / fevo.2020.00208
literature
- Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 188-189. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Web links
- Sundasciurus lowii inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Listed by: JW Duckworth, E. Meijaard, KH Han, 2008. Retrieved March 5, 2015.