Notocitellus
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| AH Howell , 1938 |
Notocitellus is a genus of real ground squirrels that is distributed in two species in Mexico .
features
The kinds of the kind have a head-trunk-length of about 28 to 48 centimeters. The tail is comparatively long with a length that corresponds to more than 75% and usually about 90% of the head-trunk length, but can even exceed this. It is narrow and only slightly bushy and corresponds more to that of the tree squirrel than that of other ground squirrels. The ear length is 14 to 18 millimeters, the rear foot length 38 to 64 millimeters. Both species of the genus have a black-gray speckled back, which results from the black-pale black banding of the back hair. The fur is rough compared to the rather soft fur of other species of ground squirrels. The body is long and slim.
The animals' feet are long and narrow. The ears are comparatively large, but short and wide and rounded; The shape of the auricles is the same as that of the antelope pebble ( Ammospermophilus ), but they are larger. Like the tail, these ears , which are different from other ground squirrels, have also developed convergently in other tree-living squirrels, which is regarded as an adaptation to this way of life. Within the former ground squirrel, they also share this trait with the genus Otospermophilus , which means that these two genera were sometimes viewed as closely related. Unlike all other types of Marmotini, the Notocitellus species only have three pairs of teats instead of the usual four to six pairs.
distribution
The genus Notocitellus is endemic to western and central Mexico, where it occurs in two species. Their distribution areas are largely separate and only marginally overlap in the northern Guerrero . The distribution area of the tropical ground squirrel extends from eastern Jalisco and Michoacán to northern Guerrero. The ring-tailed ground squirrel lives in the lowlands from southern Nayarit to northwestern Guerrero.
Way of life
The two species of the genus live in different habitats and habitats , each of which is relatively unique among the species of the tribe Marmotini. The tropical ground squirrel lives in the scrubland steppes of the highlands in the basin of Mexico at an altitude of up to 3000 meters, for example in mesquite forests with columnar cacti, as well as in tropical deciduous forests. The ring-tailed ground squirrel, on the other hand, lives in the tropical and humid deciduous forests of the plains of the Pacific coast. Both species have an omnivorous diet, but their diet consists mainly of fruits, seeds and other parts of plants. Compared to other marmotini, they are much more adapted to tree life and climb into trees and bushes to forage.
Systematics
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Phylogenetic systematics of the Marmotini according to Herron et al. 2004
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Notocitellus is a genus of the squirrels , where they are assigned to the ground squirrels (Xerinae) and therein the real ground squirrels (Xerini). The first scientific description was made by Arthur Holmes Howell in 1938. Thereafter, the species were assigned to the ground squirrel (genus Spermophilus ) together with other taxa that are now considered genera and treated as a subgenus.
In a molecular biological investigation, Notocitellus was confirmed as a monophyletic group in 2004 and identified as a sister group of the antelope pebbles ( Ammospermophilus ). and newly described at the genre level. The taxon formed together with these stands opposite the entire remaining Marmotini as a sister group.
There are two types of the genus:
- Tropical ground squirrel ( Notocitellus adocetus , ( Merriam , 1903)), central Mexico
- Ring- tailed ground squirrel ( Notocitellus annulatus , ( Audubon & Bachman , 1842)), central Mexico
The name Notocitellus is derived from the Greek word noto for "back" and the Latin citellus for "black", which translates as "black back".
Hazard and protection
Both species of the genus are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as not endangered (“least concern”) due to their comparatively large distribution area.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f Kristofer M. Helgen, F. Russell Cole, Lauren E. Helgen & Don E. Wilson: Generic revision in the Holarctic ground squirrel genus Spermophilus. Journal of Mammalogy, 90, pp. 270-305, 2009
- ↑ a b c Matthew D. Herron, Todd A. Castoe, Christopher L. Parkinson: Sciurid phylogeny and the paraphyly of holarctic ground squirrels (Spermophilus). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 31, 2004; Pp. 1015-1030. ( doi : 10.1016 / j.ympev.2003.09.015 , full text , PMID 15120398 )
- ^ Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 291-292. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ Notocitellus adocetus in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Posted by: PC de Grammont, A. Cuarón, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2015., Notocitellus annulatus on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Posted by: ST Álvarez-Castañeda, I. Castro-Arellano, T. Lacher, E. Vázquez, 2008. Retrieved April 24, 2015.