Ocher colored bush squirrel

Ocher colored bush squirrel
Systematics
Subordination :	Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family :	Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily :	Ground Squirrel (Xerinae)
Tribe :	Protoxerini
Genre :	African bush squirrel ( Paraxerus )
Type :	Ocher colored bush squirrel
Scientific name
	Paraxerus ochraceus
	( Huet , 1880)

The ocher-colored or ocher bush squirrel ( Paraxerus ochraceus ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the African bush squirrel ( Paraxerus ). It occurs from Kenya to the northeast of Tanzania . The species is comparatively common in its range and is also found in coffee plantations, eucalyptus stands and in the gardens of Nairobi .

features

The ocher-colored bush squirrel reaches an average head-trunk length of 12.3 to 19.0 centimeters, the tail is 11.3 to 18.3 centimeters long. The weight is about 90 to 140 grams. The rear foot length is 34 to 45 millimeters, the ear length 10 to 27 millimeters. It is a comparatively small croissant with a pale yellowish-brown to ocher-colored or dark-olive-green back fur, although the color may vary regionally. Some subspecies have a pale shoulder. The ventral side is yellowish to white. The colors of the legs and feet correspond to the fur on the back, the top of the feet is ocher. The tail is comparatively long and indistinctly curled with black and light, irregular spots; it is usually carried horizontally stretched out behind the body. The females have three pairs of teats (0 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 6).

1	·	0	·	2	·	3	= 22
1	·	0	·	1	·	3	= 22

African bush squirrel tooth formula

The skull has a total length of 40.0 to 42.1 millimeters and a width of 22.0 to 24.5 millimeters. Like all species of the genus has the type in the upper jaw half per one to a incisor tooth formed incisor (incisor) to which a tooth gap ( diastema follows). This is followed by two premolars and three molars . The teeth in the lower jaw correspond to those in the upper jaw, but only with a premolar. In total, the animals have a set of 22 teeth. The row of molars from the first premolar to the third molar is 6.5 to 7.2 millimeters. The bony palate ends at the anterior margin of the last molars.

The ocher-colored bush squirrel is similar to other African bush squirrels and differs from them mainly in the color of their fur. From the Smith bush squirrel ( Paraxerus cepapi ) due to the darker coloration, the two species are probably not sympatric and the Smith bush squirrel occurs south of the distribution area of the ocher colored bush squirrel.

distribution

The ocher-colored bush squirrel occurs from central and southern Kenya to the north-east of Tanzania , at altitudes of up to 2500 meters. Other possible occurrences in the south of Sudan and in the Jubba Valley in Somalia have not been scientifically confirmed. Southern Ethiopia is also named as part of the distribution area.

Way of life

There is only limited information available about the way of life of the ocher bush squirrel. It lives in different habitats from savannah forest areas, dry river forests and thickets at altitudes up to at least 2000 meters. The species is very tolerant of habitat changes and anthropogenic disturbances and it also colonizes agricultural areas such as coffee plantations , eucalyptus plantations and urban gardens in Nairobi .

The animals are diurnal and tree-living like other bush squirrels, the main phases of activity are in the early morning and late afternoon in cool temperatures while they rest during the hotter times of the day. Like other species in the genus, they are omnivorous and they seek their food on the ground and in the trees, where they move quickly along the branches and trunks. The food consists of fruits, nuts, acacia resin and other plant parts as well as insects and other animal food. They live in pairs or in small groups and communicate with each other by shouting, a high-pitched "burr" sound is emitted as an alarm call, accompanied by a violent twitch of the tail.

The mating behavior is initiated by an intensive mating game, in which the animals follow each other, rub against each other and raise their tails before the actual mating in order to signal their readiness to mate. There is no fixed mating season, the females can have young animals throughout the year. The litter consists of two to three young animals, which are often raised in the same nest with the young of another female. Occasionally the young are carried and transported in the mother's mouth. They leave the nest after two to three weeks.

The predators of the species mainly include birds of prey, snakes and crawling cats .

Systematics

The ocher-colored bush squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the African bush squirrel ( Paraxerus ), which consists of eleven species. The first scientific description comes from the French zoologist Joseph Huet from 1880, who described the species using individuals from Bagamoyo in eastern Tanzania. The species was partially assigned to the redshank squirrels ( Funisciurus ).

Within the species, the nominate form is used to distinguish between five to eight subspecies, depending on the source:

Paraxerus ochraceus ochraceus : nominate form; occurs in central and eastern Tanzania. The nominate form has a distinct side stripe and is medium in size. The back color is grayish sand and ocher, the belly sides ivory.
Paraxerus ochraceus affinis : No information is available on this subspecies.
Paraxerus ochraceus animosus : occurs on Mount Nyiro in Kenya. The subspecies is paler than any other subspecies. The back fur is light gray-olive in color with black and white spots and turns into an olive-gray color on the sides. The sides of the head and the tops of the feet are ivory in color.
Paraxerus ochraceus aruscensis : in northeastern Tanzania and southeastern Kenya. The back fur is more strongly colored than in the nominate form, the belly side is yellow and it has no side stripes.
Paraxerus ochraceus electus : in western Kenya. The fur on the back is pale, the belly side is white.
Paraxerus ochraceus ganana : in the northeast of Kenya and in the area of the Tana in the southeast of Kenya. The shape is small, pale, and yellow to tan in color. There is no hard shoulder.
Paraxerus ochraceus jacksoni : in southern Kenya and in the country's mountain forests. It is the largest and darkest subspecies with a greenish-brown fur on the back. Individual individuals have a light side stripe that begins at the shoulders and pulls backwards.
Paraxerus ochraceus kahari : in central Kenya and around Meru to the northeast of Mount Kenya . The back fur is sand-colored olive-green with a dark center line and a lighter stripe on both sides up to the torso. The peritoneum is cream-white to sand-colored, the top of the feet is ocher-colored.

Richard W. Thorington Jr. and Chad E. Shennum differentiate in the work Mammals of Africa from 2013 only five subspecies, whereby they do not regard P. o. Affinis , P. o. Animosus and P. o. Kahari as their own subspecies.

Status, threat and protection

The ocher-colored bush squirrel is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as not endangered (least concern). This is justified by the large range of the species, which is also found in several protected areas, and its good adaptability to changes in habitat. There are no known risks that could potentially endanger the company's existence.

supporting documents

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o Richard W. Thorington Jr., Chad E. Shennum: Paraxerus ochraceus, Ocher Bush Squirrel. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, pp. 82-83; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .
↑ ^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. 240-242. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
↑ Peter Grubb: Genus Paraxerus, Bush Squirrels. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, pp. 72-74; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .
↑ ^a ^b Paraxerus ochraceus in the IUCN 2016-1 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: P. Grubb, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2016.

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Paraxerus ochraceus . 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 .

literature

Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 240-242. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Richard W. Thorington Jr., Chad E. Shennum: Paraxerus ochraceus, Ocher Bush Squirrel. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, pp. 82-83; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .

Web links

Paraxerus ochraceus inthe IUCN 2016-1 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: P. Grubb, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2016.

[Kingdon_2013-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o Richard W. Thorington Jr., Chad E. Shennum: Paraxerus ochraceus, Ocher Bush Squirrel. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, pp. 82-83; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .

[Thorington_et_al._2012-2] ↑ ^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. 240-242. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1

[Grubb_2013-3] Peter Grubb: Genus Paraxerus, Bush Squirrels. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, pp. 72-74; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .

[IUCN-4] Paraxerus ochraceus in the IUCN 2016-1 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: P. Grubb, 2008. Retrieved August 31, 2016.

[Wilson_&_Reeder_2005-5] Paraxerus ochraceus . 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 .