Topapu miniature squirrel
| Topapu miniature squirrel | ||||||||||||
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| Prosciurillus topapuensis | ||||||||||||
| ( Roux , 1910) |
The Topapu dwarf squirrel ( Prosciurillus topapuensis ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the Sulawesi dwarf squirrel ( Prosciurillus ), which occurs on the island of Sulawesi , which belongs to Indonesia .
features
Like the other species of Sulawesi miniature squirrel, the Topapu miniature squirrel is one of the smaller species of squirrel endemic to the island of Sulawesi. It reaches a head-torso length of about 15.5 to 19 centimeters with a weight of 130 to 210 grams. The tail is about 12 to 17.5 centimeters long, making it only slightly shorter than the rest of the body. The back color of the animals is brown with individual sand-yellow or black markings. The underside is dark gray with ocher to sand yellow and silver colored washings. The ears have distinct tufts of black hair. The animals have a sand-colored ring around their eyes, and the snout is partly sand-colored. Neck spots and dorsal stripes do not occur in this species. The tail is ringed black and sand-colored and ends in a black tassel.
distribution
The Topapu dwarf squirrel is found in the mountains in the western center of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi . The height distribution ranges from about 350 meters to the mountain locations around 2800 meters.
Way of life
The animals live in the foliage of higher trees and mostly stay in the tree tops and tendril plants. When they get to the ground, they mostly use vines and deadwood to move on. They are diurnal and mainly active in the morning and afternoon on sunny days. The diet consists largely of soft fruits such as figs, plus seeds and tree-living insects. Communication takes place via loud chattering noises, which can also become aggressive. They respond to numerous noises, such as falling branches, rain, animals and people, with warning and reaction calls.
The nests are built by the animals from leaves in tree hollows, especially in the trunks of the fig species Ficus aurea . The females have three pairs of teats; no information is available on the young.
Systematics
The Topapu dwarf squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the Sulawesi dwarf squirrel ( Prosciurillus ), which currently consists of seven species. Up to 2005 only five species were recognized, Prosciurillus topapuensis was not one of them. The first scientific description comes from the Swiss zoologist Jean Roux under the scientific name Sciurus topapuensis based on a hide from the Topapu Mountains from 1910, which he received from the explorers Fritz Sarasin and Paul Sarasin .
Apart from the nominate form, no further subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Status, threat and protection
The Topapu miniature squirrel is not recorded by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 175. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ Prosciurillus 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 .
- ^ Jean Roux: Contribution to the knowledge of the Sciurus kinds of Celebes. Zoologischer Anzeiger 35, 1910; Pp. 515-520. ( Digitized version )
- ↑ No IUCN dataset available; Retrieved March 21, 2015.
literature
- Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 175. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1