Samar croissants
| Samar croissants | ||||||||||||
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Samar squirrel ( Sundasciurus samarensis ) (below), above a Mindanao squirrel ( Sundasciurus mindanensis ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Sundasciurus samarensis | ||||||||||||
| ( Steere , 1890) |
The samar squirrel ( Sundasciurus samarensis ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the Sunda tree squirrel ( Sundasciurus ). It lives on the Philippine islands of Samar and Leyte .
features
The Samar croissant reaches a head-trunk length of about 18.5 to 19.0 centimeters with a weight of about 165 to 245 grams. The tail is about 15.8 to 16.5 centimeters long, which is slightly shorter than the rest of the body. The back and tail color of the animals is uniformly dark gray and corresponds to that of the Mindanao squirrel ( Sundasciurus mindanensis ), the trunk and legs are more ash gray. Compared to the Mindanao croissant, the Samar croissant is slightly larger and has no eye ring, and the hips and nose region are also a solid gray.
distribution
The Samar squirrel is endemic to the Philippine islands of Samar and Leyte .
Way of life
Little data is available on the way of life of the samar croissant. It lives in primary and secondary forests and is likely to be found in the area of agricultural land as well.
Systematics
The Samar 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 Joseph Beal Steere from 1890, who described the species on the basis of individuals from the islands of Samar and Leyte. A conspecificity with other species of the genus island as the Davao Croissant ( Sundasciurus davensis ), the Philippines Croissant ( Sundasciurus philippinensis ) and the Mindanao Croissant ( Sundasciurus mindanensis ) is possible.
Apart from the nominate form, no further subspecies are distinguished within the species .
Status, threat and protection
The Samar croissant is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified by the locally frequent occurrence, although the species is restricted to a limited range. There are no known threats to the population, but it is likely - like the Philippines croissant - partly caught and sold for the pet trade or hunted as a source of meat.
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. 191-192. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d e Sundasciurus samarensis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Posted by: F. Chiozza, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
- ↑ a b c d Sundasciurus samarensis 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. 191-192. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Web links
- Sundasciurus samarensis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Posted by: F. Chiozza, 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2015.