Newworldly miniature squirrel

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Newworldly miniature squirrel
Systematics
Order : Rodents (Rodentia)
Subordination : Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family : Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily : Tree squirrel and flying squirrel (Sciurinae)
Tribe : Tree squirrel (Sciurini)
Genre : Newworldly miniature squirrel
Scientific name
Microsciurus
Allen , 1895

The New World dwarf squirrels ( Microsciurus ) are a genus of tree squirrels in tropical South and Central America .

features

With a head body length of 15 cm and a tail length of 12 cm, the miniature squirrels are not as tiny as the name suggests; they are only a little smaller than a squirrel . The New World little squirrel is much smaller . Little squirrels are gray or brown on the top and whitish on the underside.

1 · 0 · 2–1 · 3  =  20-22
1 · 0 · 1 · 3
Tooth formula of the New World dwarf squirrels

The 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 one or two premolars and three molars . In contrast, the animals only ever have one premolar in the lower jaw. Overall, the animals have a set of 20 to 22 teeth. The second premolar (PM3) is absent especially in some populations of the Amazonian dwarf squirrel ( Microsciurus flaviventer ), in the other species it is very small.

Way of life

All dwarf squirrels of this genus are inhabitants of tropical rainforests . None of the species are considered endangered. The fact that they are hardly known and so seldom seen is more due to their hidden and shy way of life. According to previous knowledge, the way of life is not dissimilar to that of tropical squirrel species.

Systematics

The New World dwarf squirrels are classified as an independent genus within the tree squirrels ( Sciurini ). The first scientific description comes from Joel Asaph Allen from 1895, who described Microsciurus as a subgenus of Sciurus on the basis of the Central American dwarf squirrel ( Microsciurus alfari ) also described in the same publication in the journal Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History .

There are four types:

literature

  • JL Koprowski, EA Goldstein, KR Bennett, C. Pereira Mendes: Genus Microsciurus. In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (Eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Volume 6) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016, ISBN 978- 84-941892-3-4 , pp. 756-757.
  • 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. 32-36 .
  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 2 volumes. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .

supporting documents

  1. ↑ James L. Patton, Ulyses FJ Pardiñas, Guillermo D'Elía: Mammals of South America, Volume 2: Rodents. University of Chicago Press, 2015; P. 24 ff. ( Google Books )
  2. ^ Microsciurus . In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): 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 .
  3. ^ JA Allen: Descriptions of new American mammals. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 7, 1905; Pp. 332-333. ( Full text )
  4. ^ JL Koprowski, EA Goldstein, KR Bennett, C. Pereira Mendes: Genus Microsciurus. In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (Eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Volume 6) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016, ISBN 978- 84-941892-3-4 , pp. 756-757.
  5. ^ Microsciurus In: Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 32 ff. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1

Web links

Commons : Microsciurus  - collection of images, videos and audio files