Mentawai flying squirrel
| Mentawai flying squirrel | ||||||||||||
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| Iomys sipora | ||||||||||||
| Chasen & Kloss , 1928 |
The Mentawai flying squirrel ( Iomys sipora ) is a flying squirrel from the genus Iomys, which includes only two species . It is endemic to the two to Indonesia belonging Mentawai Islands southeast of Sumatra .
features
The Mentawai flying squirrel reaches a head-torso length of 18 to 20 centimeters and a tail length of about 18 centimeters. The back color is dark brown with an almost black tail, the belly side is lighter brown. The ears are hairless, the females have two pairs of teats in the groin region .
Like all flying squirrels, it has a hairy flight membrane that connects the wrists and ankles and is enlarged by a fold of skin between the hind legs and the base of the tail. The flight membrane is muscular and reinforced at the edge, it can be tensed and relaxed accordingly in order to control the direction of gliding.
distribution
The Mentawai flying squirrel is endemic to the to Indonesia belonging Mentawai Islands southeast of Sumatra . The distribution is limited to the two islands of Sipora and North Pagai .
Way of life
Very little data is available on the way of life of the flying squirrel. The habitat is in the lowlands in tropical to subtropical primary forest up to heights of about 500 meters. Like other species, it is likely to be strictly arboreal and nocturnal.
Together with the Sipora flying squirrel ( Hylopetes Sipora ), the Siberut flying squirrel ( Petinomys lugens ), the Mentawai croissant ( Callosciurus melanogaster ), Leopoldamys siporanus , Maxomys pagensis , Chiropodomys karlkoopmani , Rattus lugens , the Mentawai tree squirrels ( Fraternal Squirrel ) and the Mentawai three-striped squirrel ( Lariscus obscurus ), the Mentawai flying squirrel represents the endemic rodent fauna of the Mentawai Islands.
Systematics
The Mentawai flying squirrel is an independent species within the genus Iomys , the second species containing the Horsfield flying squirrel ( Iomys horsfieldii ). The first scientific description comes from Frederick Nutter Chasen and Cecil Boden Kloss in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London in 1928 and was carried out on the basis of individuals from the island of Sipora. No subspecies are distinguished within the species.
Existence, endangerment and protection
The Mentawai flying squirrel is recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) because of its small range of less than 5,000 km 2 , with all individuals in less than five areas, as well as the ongoing decline in population and available habitats classified as endangered. A collection expedition by the National Museum of Indonesia in 1991 was unable to find individuals of this species and it is possible that classification as an endangered species is necessary.
supporting documents
- ↑ 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; P. 107. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d Iomys sipora in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.2. Posted by: L. Ruedas, JW Duckworth, B. Lee, RJ Tizard, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
- ↑ Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Leopoldamys siporanus in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
- ^ A b Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Iomys sipora in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
literature
- Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 107. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Web links
- Iomys sipora inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.2. Posted by: L. Ruedas, JW Duckworth, B. Lee, RJ Tizard, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2014.