Common oil palm squirrel
| Common oil palm squirrel | ||||||||||||
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Common oil palm squirrel |
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| Protoxerus stangeri | ||||||||||||
| ( Waterhouse , 1842) |
The common oil palm squirrel ( Protoxerus stangeri ) is a tree living representative of the squirrel family. Together with the slender-tailed squirrel ( Protoxerus aubinnii ) it forms the genus of the oil palm squirrel .
features
The common oil palm squirrel reaches a head-trunk length of about 27 to 30 centimeters and a tail length of also about 30 centimeters. The mean head-torso length is 27.6 centimeters in the females and 28.0 centimeters in the males. The weight ranges from about 540 grams to 660 grams. It is one of the largest tree squirrels within its range.
The back fur is brown, although it can range in its tint from red and yellow-brown to almost black. The belly is sparsely haired and white, yellow or darker. The bushy tail is gray with indistinct darker banding. The tail is lifted straight behind the body when walking and placed on the side when resting. The coat color varies regionally and sometimes very strongly between the subspecies.
distribution
This species is found in the forest areas of West and Central Africa. The distribution area extends from Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa through Uganda and Rwanda to the Kakamega Forest National Reserve in Kenya and in a southerly direction to the north of Angola . In Angola and in the Angolan border area to the Democratic Republic of the Congo there are also two isolated occurrences of the species. The species also lives on the island of Bioko, which belongs to Equatorial Guinea .
The altitude distribution of the species extends to about 2000 meters. This species can also be found on agricultural land.
Way of life
The common oil palm squirrel occurs in the lowland and fringing forests within its range, but also lives in agricultural areas as well as in secondary forests and plantations. It is tree-living ( arboricol ) and lives mainly in the upper canopy areas, it rarely occurs on the ground. The animals are diurnal and can be observed from dawn to late afternoon.
The squirrels form nests in tree hollows or in forked branches. The nest is made of twigs and fresh leaves and is sometimes used for several years. The animals live as solitary animals and avoid encounters with conspecifics outside of the mating season and the rearing of the young. Accordingly, they go for food alone and behave aggressively towards other squirrels in the food trees. The subadult and adult females use areas of 3.2 to 5 hectares. Communication essentially takes place via two different alarm calls. The milder alarm call consists of several puffing and sneezing sounds in succession, supplemented by click sounds that are generated by the teeth. The stronger alarm call consists of a series of calls with decreasing frequency that are repeated every 5 to 20 seconds. The squirrels react to unfamiliar objects by lifting their tail over their backs and letting it swing over their backs.
nutrition
The squirrel feeds on seeds and fruits of various types of trees and lianas, including the fruits of the oil palm and the date palm ( phoenix ). There are also species such as Panda oleosa , Coula edulis and various species of the genera Klaineodaxa , Irvingia , Pseudospondias , Musanga , Parinari , Chrysophyllum , Carapa , Caloncoba , Cordia and Urera . In addition, they also consume small amounts of leaves and insects, and in isolated cases they have also been held responsible for killing nesting hornbills .
Reproduction
Little is known about how the squirrels reproduce. It is unlikely to be tied to a specific time of year, as females have been observed with juveniles at different times. For mating, the males follow the females ready to mate before they mate. The females likely give birth once or twice a year, giving birth to one or two young at a time.
Predators
Among the predators of the common oil palm squirrel, eagles and other birds of prey play a role, as the squirrels are mainly in the higher treetops.
Systematics
The common oil palm squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the oil palm squirrel ( Protoxerus ), which is formed from it and the slender-tailed squirrel ( Protoxerus aubinnii ). The first scientific description comes from George Robert Waterhouse in 1842 using an individual from the island of Bioko , Equatorial Guinea .
Twelve subspecies are distinguished within the widespread species:
- Protoxerus stangeri stangeri from the island of Bioko ( nominate form )
- Protoxerus stangeri bea from the Kakamega Forest in Kenya
- Protoxerus stangeri centricola from Mount Nkungwe in Tanzania
- Protoxerus stangeri cooperi from the Sango Bay Forest in Uganda
- Protoxerus stangeri eborivorus from Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and the Central African Republic
- Protoxerus stangeri kabobo from Mount Kabobo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Protoxerus stangeri kwango from Kwango in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Protoxerus stangeri loandae from the forests of northern Angola
- Protoxerus stangeri nigeriae from Togo, Benin and Nigeria
- Protoxerus stangeri personatus from the mouth of the Congo in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Protoxerus stangeri signatus from the area around Lodja on Lukenie in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Protoxerus stangeri temminckii from Sierra Leone and Liberia eastwards to Ghana
Existence and threat, protection
The common oil palm squirrel is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as not endangered ("least concern") because it occurs frequently in its comparatively large area and there are no major threats. It is also very adaptable to changed habitats and occurs in several protected areas such as Tai National Park in Ivory Coast and Kibale National Park in Uganda . The loss of habitat in the conversion of forest areas poses a potential threat, but the squirrel can also survive in agricultural areas and cocoa plantations.
In parts of its distribution area, the croissant is hunted and consumed as bushmeat .
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 247-248. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d e Protoxerus stangeri in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.1. Posted by: Grubb, P. & Ekué, MRM, 2008. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
- ↑ a b c Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Protoxerus strangeri in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
literature
- Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 247-248. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Web links
- Protoxerus stangeri inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Grubb, P. & Ekué, MRM, 2008. Retrieved November 1, 2013.