Petter dormouse

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Petter dormouse
Systematics
Subordination : Mouse relatives (Myomorpha)
Superfamily : Mice-like (Muroidea)
Family : Nesomyidae
Subfamily : Madagascar rats (Nesomyinae)
Genre : Dormouse Tails ( Eliurus )
Type : Petter dormouse
Scientific name
Eliurus petteri
Carleton , 1994

The petter's dormouse ( Eliurus petteri ) is a species of the Madagascar rats within the dormouse tails ( Eliurus ). The species is endemic in the central-eastern part of Madagascar , where it is only known from the Toamasina province .

features

The Petter dormouse tail reaches a head-trunk length of 13.3 centimeters with a tail length of 19.1 centimeters, the weight is 74 grams; all information is from the type . This makes it a small type of rodent. The back color is brown-gray, the belly is white and sharply demarcated from the back. In comparison to related species, it can be easily distinguished on the basis of this delimitation. The tail is bare in the front area and covered in the last quarter with gray hair that forms a tassel at the tip of the tail. In some individuals this can also be white. The lower legs are gray, the feet and toes are white.

The females have three pairs of teats .

distribution

The species is endemic in the central-eastern part of Madagascar , where it has only been found in the Toamasina province .

Way of life

Very little information is available about the Petter dormouse way of life. It lives in pristine rainforest areas of the flatlands and the mountain slopes at heights of 430 to 1200 meters. The animals are nocturnal and it can be assumed that they feed on seeds and other parts of plants. The diet is likely to be supplemented with fruits and insects.

Systematics

The Petter dormouse is classified as an independent species within the genus of dormouse ( Eliurus ). The first scientific description of the species comes from the zoologist Michael D. Carleton from 1994, who described it using individuals from the Toamasina province.

Apart from the nominate form, no subspecies are distinguished within the species . The species was named after Francis Petter , zoology professor in Paris.

Status, threat and protection

The Petter dormouse is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as threatened ("endangered"). The classification is justified by the very small distribution area of ​​1532 km², in which the usable habitats are strongly fragmented. The main threat to this species is habitat loss and degradation as a result of slash and burn from agricultural activities. Another potential threat is a disease that was originally transmitted to Malagasy rodents by introduced fleas from imported rodents.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Petter’s tufted-tail advice. In: SM Goodman, A. Monadjem: Family Nesomyidae (Pouched Rats, Climbing Mice and Fat Mice) In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (editor): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Rodents 2. (HMW, Volume 7) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2017, p. 188. ISBN 978-84-16728-04-6 .
  2. ↑ a b Eliurus petteri . 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. ↑ Bo Beolens, Michael Watkins, Michael Grayson: The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2009, ISBN 978-0-8018-9304-9 , pp. 319-320.
  4. ↑ a b Eliurus petteri in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2016 Posted by: R. Kennerley, S. Goodman, 2016. Accessed May 19, 2020th

literature

  • Petter's Tufted-tail Council. In: SM Goodman, A. Monadjem: Family Nesomyidae (Pouched Rats, Climbing Mice and Fat Mice) In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (editor): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Rodents 2. (HMW, Volume 7) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2017, p. 188. ISBN 978-84-16728-04-6 .

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