Perote ground squirrel
| Perote ground squirrel | ||||||||||||
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| Xerospermophilus perotensis | ||||||||||||
| ( Merriam , 1893) |
The Perote ground squirrel ( Xerospermophilus perotensis , syn .: Spermophilus perotensis ) is a species of squirrel from the genus Xerospermophilus . He lives exclusively in a demarcated area in central Mexico .
features
The Perote ground squirrel reaches a head-trunk length of about 24.3 to 26.1 centimeters, the tail is about 57 to 78 millimeters long and is thus significantly shorter than the rest of the body. The animals have a grayish mottled yellow-brown back coloration with a pattern of thin and interrupted black stripes. After changing their fur , they also have light, sandy-colored spots or points in their fur. The white eyelids are striking . The feet and lower areas as well as the peritoneum are pale sand-colored. The top of the tail corresponds to the color of the back and turns black towards the end of the tail, the underside is ocher to sand-colored with a clearly recognizable black line near the tip of the tail.
distribution
The Perote ground squirrel is endemic to central Mexico in the states of Veracruz and Puebla . The distribution area is limited to around 2,500 km 2 at altitudes of 2,200 to 2,700 meters.
Way of life
The Perote ground squirrel is diurnal and lives in dry, desert-like plateaus in the area of open pine stands and scree. It is omnivorous and, like other ground squirrels, its diet consists primarily of various parts of the plant as well as seeds and insects.
The animals live like other ground squirrels on the ground and in underground burrows. The activity of the animals ranges from March to November. From November to spring they overwinter in their burrows for three to four months. The adult males usually wake up before the females and juveniles of the previous year and leave their burrows. The mating season begins after the females have awakened from April to May and pregnant females can appear until August. The young animals are littered in the burrow, up to seven young animals and an average litter size of four young animals are documented. They come out of the burrow from July. The adults prepare for wintering in late September to October and then stay in their burrows, the young of the year come to the surface by November and hibernate afterwards.
The most important predators for the Perote brick are probably domestic dogs and the long-tailed weasel ( Mustela frenata ).
Systematics
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Phylogenetic system of the genus Xerospermophilus according to Fernández 2012
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The Perote ground squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus Xerospermophilus , which consists of four species. The species has long been classified as part of the ground squirrel and within the subgenus Ictidomys , but after a comprehensive molecular biological investigation it was assigned to the now independent genus Xerospermophilus . The first scientific description comes from the American zoologist Clinton Hart Merriam from 1893. He described the species as Spermophilus perotensis using individuals from the region around Perote in the Mexican state of Veracruz.
In a phylogenetic study with a focus on the relationship of the Perote ground squirrel, the spot ground squirrel was identified as a sister species of the Perote ground squirrel and compared to the other two species of the genus, the Mojave ground squirrel and the round-tailed ground squirrel. Apart from the nominate form, no subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Status, threat and protection
The Perote ground squirrel is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified by the very limited distribution area with an area of less than 5,000 km 2 as well as the strong fragmentation and the qualitative deterioration of the habitats for the squirrels.
The main threat to the animals comes from the conversion of their habitats into agricultural areas, especially for the cultivation of potatoes . The animals avoid agricultural fields, and in most of their range the animals live in small areas, often along railway lines.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 367-368. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ^ A b c Troy L. Best , Gerardo Ceballos: Spermophilus mohavensis. Mammalian Species 507, 1995; Pp. 1-3. ( Full text ( Memento of the original from March 15, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this note. )
- ^ A b Jesús A. Fernández: Phylogenetics and biogeography of the microendemic rodent Xerospermophilus perotensis (Perote ground squirrel) in the Oriental Basin of Mexico. Journal of Mammalogy 93 (6), 2012; Pp. 1431-1439. doi : 10.1644 / 11-MAMM-A-409.1
- ↑ 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. ( Full text , PMID 15120398 )
- ↑ Kristofer M. Helgen, F. Russell Cole, Lauren E. Helgen, Don E. Wilson: Generic Revision in the holarctic ground squirrels genus Spermophilus. Journal of Mammalogy 90 (2), 2009; Pp. 270-305. doi : 10.1644 / 07-MAMM-A-309.1
- ↑ a b Spermophilus (Ictidomys) perotensis 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 .
- ↑ a b c Xerospermophilus perotensis in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species 2015.4. Posted by: ST Álvarez-Castañeda, I. Castro-Arellano, T. Lacher, E. Vázquez, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
literature
- Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 367-368. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- Troy L. Best , Gerardo Ceballos: Spermophilus mohavensis. Mammalian Species 507, 1995; Pp. 1-3. ( Full text )
Web links
- Xerospermophilus perotensis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.4. Posted by: ST Álvarez-Castañeda, I. Castro-Arellano, T. Lacher, E. Vázquez, 2008. Accessed April 22, 2016.