Mexican fox squirrel
| Mexican fox squirrel | ||||||||||||
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Mexican Fox Squirrel of the subspecies Sciurus nayaritensis chiricahuae in Cochise County , Arizona |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Sciurus nayaritensis | ||||||||||||
| JA Allen , 1890 |
The Mexican fox squirrel ( Sciurus nayaritensis ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of squirrels ( Sciurus ). It is distributed in western Mexico and locally in the southeast of the American state of Arizona .
features
The Mexican fox squirrel reaches a head-torso length of about 24.8 to 25.9 centimeters with a weight of about 660 to 740 grams. The tail becomes 24.6 to 25.5 inches long and is thus about as long as the rest of the body. The back coloration of the animals is grayish brown, the belly side is yellowish to reddish brown. The dark tail is frosted white. The animals change their fur twice a year, with the winter fur being reddish and the scrotum (scrotum) being white.
distribution
The Mexican fox squirrel is distributed in western Mexico south of the Sierra Madre Occidental to the state of Jalisco and locally in the Chiricahua Mountains in the southeast of the American state of Arizona. The height distribution ranges from 1560 to about 2700 meters, but is usually between 1650 and 1950 meters.
Way of life
The Mexican fox squirrel lives in wooded areas of the mountain regions of deciduous forests at altitudes around 1500 meters, in dry oak-pine mixed forests of the middle altitude level to coniferous forests of the upper altitudes. The population figures in the forests are generally low, the highest population figures are found in river valleys with poplars and plane trees . The animals are diurnal and active all year round, they do not hibernate . The males use an activity area of an average of 35 hectares , the females only about 15 hectares. The males try to overlap their territory with as many females as possible, especially during the mating season. The animals feed on herbivorous food, with a small proportion of insects, they look for food on the ground and in the foliage of the trees. The Mexican fox squirrel mainly eats seeds and fruits as well as mushrooms. In the cones of pine, Douglas fir and spruce, the individual scales are removed in order to get to the seeds. Beechnuts and walnuts are also eaten when they are available. The animals also create stores of seeds in the soil and the leaf pads as a reserve.
The nests are built as goblins in the branches of plant material, and the animals of both sexes, especially females with young animals, use tree hollows as a sleeping place and hiding place. Common nest use also occurs. The mating season begins in spring or early summer with a brief oestrus of the females, which are mated by several males. The litter occurs in late spring or summer and consists of one or two young animals. From winter to summer, the males have a free scrotum in which the sperm are produced; in late summer and autumn this is withdrawn into a cavity in the abdomen.
The main predators for the Mexican fox squirrel include birds of prey, dogs, cats, raccoons and snakes. When threatened, the animals do not make any calls and behave motionless or seek hiding places.
Systematics
The Mexican fox squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of squirrels ( Sciurus ), which consists of almost 30 species. The first scientific description comes from Joel Asaph Allen from 1890, who first described the species as Sciurus alstoni based on individuals from the Sierra Valparaíso in the Mexican state of Zacatecas and a year later the name based on the name already given by John Anderson for the today as Prosciurillus alstoni known species of Sulawesi miniature squirrel changed to Sciurus nayaritensis .
Within the species, together with the nominate form, three subspecies are distinguished:
- Sciurus nayaritensis nayaritensis : nominate form; in the southern part of the range in Mexico. The subspecies is smaller than the others, the fur is clearly more yellow.
- Sciurus nayaritensis apache : in the northern and central part of the range. The subspecies is medium in size and intermediate between the other two forms in terms of color.
- Sciurus nayaritensis chiricahuae : Endemic to the Chiricahua Mountains in southeastern Arizona. The color is reddish, both on the back and on the abdomen.
Status, threat and protection
The Mexican Fox Squirrel is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as "Least Concern". This is justified by the relatively large area of distribution, the assumed high population figures and the lack of risks that threaten the population. Potential risks for the population are not known; the animals are hunted locally as a source of meat.
The subspecies Sciurus nayaritensis chiricahuae is an endangered species under protection in the United States.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012, ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 , pp. 59-60 .
- ↑ a b c d Sciurus nayaritensis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.1. Posted by: AV Linzey, J. Koprowski, L. Roth, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ↑ a b c Sciurus nayaritensis 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 .
- ^ Troy L. Best : Sciurus nayaritensis . In: Mammalian Species . tape 492 , 1995, pp. 1–5 ( full text (PDF)).
literature
- Troy L. Best : Sciurus nayaritensis . In: Mammalian Species . tape 492 , 1995, pp. 1–5 ( full text (PDF)).
- Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012, ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 , pp. 59-60 .
Web links
- Sciurus nayaritensis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.1. Posted by: AV Linzey, J. Koprowski, L. Roth, 2008. Retrieved July 15, 2015.