Pel-thorntail squirrel
| Pel-thorntail squirrel | ||||||||||||
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Pel-thorntail squirrel ( Anomalurus pelii ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Anomalurus pelii | ||||||||||||
| ( Schlegel & Müller , 1845) |
The pel-horned squirrel ( Anomalurus pelii ) is a rodent in the family of horny squirrels found in West Africa .
There are two subspecies :
- Anomalurus pelii pelii (Schlegel & Müller, 1845)
- Anomalurus pelii auzembergeri ( Matschie , 1914)
features
The species reaches a head-trunk length of 40 to 46 cm, a tail length of 32 to 45 cm and a weight of 1.3 to 1.8 kg. On the top, the fur is black in color. Except for white areas around the ears and on the nose, the head is also covered with black hair. The underside, the tail and the edges of the flight membrane are white. On the underside of the base of the tail are the scales typical of the family , each with a thorn.
distribution and habitat
The range of this rodent extends from western Liberia over the Ivory Coast to southeastern Ghana . Rainforests in the plains with an annual rainfall of 1400 to 3900 mm serve as habitat .
Way of life
The pel-thorntail squirrel is nocturnal and climbs mainly in the undergrowth. It mostly lives in pairs or in smaller groups of up to 6 individuals. The animals rest together in a tree hollow and start looking for food after sunset. They mainly eat bark as well as fruits, leaves and flowers. There are one or two litters per year in which up to three young are born.
Danger
The species is hunted and traded as bushmeat . In addition, the forestry use of the forests and deforestation to gain agricultural land represent a threat. Due to the nocturnal way of life, it is difficult to assess how this threat has affected the population. The IUCN therefore lists the pel-thorntail squirrel with "insufficient data" ( data deficient ).
Individual evidence
- ↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Anomalurus pelii ).
- ↑ a b Jonathan Kingdon (Ed.): The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals . A&C Black Publishers, London 2008, ISBN 978-0-7136-6513-0 , pp. 252 ( Pel's Anomalure - First Edition: 1997).
- ↑ a b c Anomalurus pelii in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.2. Posted by: Hutterer, R. & Decher, J., 2009. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
Web links
- Illustration on Mammals' Planet.
