Feather-tailed pointed squirrel
| Feather-tailed pointed squirrel | ||||||||||||
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Artist's impression of the feather-tailed pointed squirrel from 1848 |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the family | ||||||||||||
| Ptilocercidae | ||||||||||||
| Lyon , 1913 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Ptilocercus | ||||||||||||
| JE Gray , 1848 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Ptilocercus lowii | ||||||||||||
| JE Gray, 1848 |
The feather-tailed pointed squirrel ( Ptilocercus lowii ) is a species of mammal from the order of the pointed squirrel (Scandentia). It has a special position within this order and is classified in its own family, Ptilocercidae.
features
The most striking feature of this animal is the tail. This is dark colored and naked with the exception of the tip, which is provided with white hair. The species owes its name to this feather-like structure. The rest of the body is gray-brown in color and has the usual elongated snout of the pointed squirrel. However, the ears are larger and thinner than other species. The length of the head body of the feather-tailed pointed squirrel is 10 to 14 centimeters, the tail is around 13 to 19 centimeters long.
distribution and habitat
The Malay Peninsula , Sumatra , the northern and western parts of Borneo and smaller offshore islands are home to these animals. Their habitat are forests up to around 1000 meters above sea level.
Way of life
Feather-tailed pointed squirrels are the only species of shrewfish that are active at night. They are tree dwellers who are excellent at climbing and jumping. The conspicuous tail serves the balance, possibly also the sense of touch. During the day they rest curled up in self-made nests made of leaves and twigs.
nutrition
The diet of these animals consists of insects, small vertebrates such as geckos , and fruits.
According to a study published in 2008, these shrews often consume the fermented nectar of the Bertramp palm ( Eugeissona tristis ), which can have an alcohol content of up to 3.8 percent. They show no signs of drunkenness, so they can obviously break down the alcohol efficiently. According to the researchers, the alcohol could have positive psychological effects.
Reproduction
Little is known about the reproduction of these animals. The gestation period is estimated at 45 to 55 days and the litter size at one to four. It is not known whether the sporadic suckling behavior that is common in other shrews also occurs in them.
threat
Also, no precise information can be given about the degree of risk. The relatively large distribution area is probably one reason that they are less threatened compared to other species.
swell
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999, ISBN 0801857899
- ↑ Frank Wiens et al. (2008): Chronic intake of fermented floral nectar by wild treeshrews . In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. doi : 10.1073 / pnas.0801628105 Abstract
Web links
- Ptilocercus lowii inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Han, KH & Stuebing, R., 2008. Retrieved February 2, 2014.