Philippines croissant
| Philippines croissant | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Sundasciurus philippinensis | ||||||||||||
| ( Waterhouse , 1839) |
The Philippines squirrel ( Sundasciurus philippinensis ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the Sunda tree squirrel ( Sundasciurus ). It lives on several Philippine islands south of Samar .
features
The Philippines croissant reaches a head-torso length of about 19.0 to 19.5 centimeters with a weight of about 250 grams. The tail is about 13.5 to 14.5 inches long, making it slightly shorter than the rest of the body. The back color of the animals is uniformly brown, the belly color is gray to cloudy orange. The animals have a reddish eye ring around their eyes and the tail is curled.
distribution
The Philippines squirrel is endemic to the Philippine islands. The distribution area extends south of Samar and in the vicinity of Mindanao over the islands of Basilan , Biliran , Bohol , Dinagat , Leyte and Siargao . In Mindanao, the species is found all over the island. The altitude distribution ranges from the flatlands to altitudes of 2100 meters.
Way of life
Little data is available on the way the Philippines croissant lives. It lives in primary and secondary forests of the flatlands as well as the mountain forests and is often found in the area of agricultural land.
Systematics
The Philippines squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the Sunda tree squirrel ( Sundasciurus ), which - depending on the author - consists of 15 to 17 species. The first scientific description comes from George Robert Waterhouse from 1839, who described the species on the basis of individuals from the island of Mindanao. A conspecificity with other island species of the genus such as the Davao squirrel ( Sundasciurus davensis ), the Samar squirrel ( Sundasciurus samarensis ) and the Mindanao squirrel ( Sundasciurus mindanensis ) is possible.
Apart from the nominate form, no further subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Status, threat and protection
The Philippines croissant is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is mainly due to the comparatively large distribution area on several islands as well as the locally frequent occurrence, partly also in protected areas. In parts of the distribution area the animals are caught and sold for the pet trade, locally they are also hunted as a source of meat or controlled as pests. Although both catches and hunting have an impact on populations, they are not endangering the population.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 190-191. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d e f Sundasciurus philippinensis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Listed by: P. Ong, B. Tabaranza, G. Rosell-Ambal, D. Balete, L. Heaney, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
- ↑ a b c Sundasciurus philippinensis 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 .
literature
- Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 190-191. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Web links
- Sundasciurus philippinensis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Listed by: P. Ong, B. Tabaranza, G. Rosell-Ambal, D. Balete, L. Heaney, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2015.