Slender-tailed squirrel
| Slender-tailed squirrel | ||||||||||||
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| Protoxerus aubinnii | ||||||||||||
| ( Gray , 1873) |
The slender- tailed squirrel ( Protoxerus aubinnii , syn .: Allosciurus aubinnii ) is a tree-living representative of the squirrel family. Together with the common oil palm squirrel ( Protoxerus stangeri ) it forms the genus of the oil palm squirrel , but it is occasionally considered the only species of the then monotypical genus Allosciurus .
features
The slim-tailed squirrel is a large squirrel and reaches a head-torso length of about 24 centimeters and a tail length of about 30 centimeters. The weight is around 400 to 450 grams. The rear foot length is 55 to 61 millimeters, the ear length 18 to 21 millimeters. The back fur is monochrome brown to dark brown with a red and yellow-brown tinge without stripes or other fur markings. The hair on the back is dark brown with two to three narrow yellow bands. The belly is colored lighter brown. The ears are small and round, they are covered with thick hair. The tail, which is about 125% of the length of the head and torso and thickly haired with about 35 millimeters long hair, is black and mottled yellow to yellow-brown towards the top, it is not bushy. The females have four pairs of teats .
| 1 | · | 0 | · | 2 | · | 3 | = 22 |
| 1 | · | 0 | · | 1 | · | 3 |
The skull of the slender squirrel has a total length of 59 to 60 millimeters. It has a a maxillary per half incisor tooth formed incisor (incisor) to which a tooth gap ( diastema follows). This is followed by two premolars and three molars . The teeth in the lower jaw correspond to those in the upper jaw, but there is only one premolar. In total, the animals have a set of 22 teeth. Characteristic are the nasofrontal snout region, which is curved downwards in profile, and the very high skull, which also distinguishes it from the common oil palm squirrel ( Protoxerus stangeri ) and on the basis of which a separate genus is proposed. There are also some other skull features such as the formation of a supraorbital knot and features of the coat color.
The slender-tailed squirrel is similar to the common oil palm squirrel ( Protoxerus stangeri ), but it has a grayish mottled fur and a bushy tail with white spots. From African Palm Squirrel (Epixerus EBII) it differs by the absence of Roteinschlags in coat color and also by the smooth long and unspotted tail.
distribution
The slender-tailed squirrel occurs in the forest areas of West Africa, from the southeast of Sierra Leone and the south of Guinea via Liberia and the Ivory Coast to the southwest of Ghana .
Way of life
The Slim flying squirrel lives in the raffia palm trees and the undergrowth of the rain forests in the plains. No further information is available about his way of life.
Systematics
The slender-tailed squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the oil palm squirrel ( Protoxerus ), which is formed from it and the common oil palm squirrel ( Protoxerus stangeri ). The first scientific description comes from John Edward Gray from 1873 on the basis of an individual from the Ashanti region in Ghana, who described the species as Myrsilus aubinnii . The species was partially classified in its own genus Allosciurus Conisbee , 1953.
Two subspecies are distinguished within the species, the nominate form Protoxerus aubinnii aubinnii occurs in Ivory Coast and Ghana, Protoxerus aubinnii salae lives in Sierra Leone , Guineas and Liberia .
Existence and threat, protection
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) does not classify the slender-tailed squirrel in any endangerment category due to a lack of data on the population and the biology of the species, but rather lists it with the note "data deficient". The causes of the risk are not known, but the forests in northern Guinea have been greatly reduced in some areas.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 246-247. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d Chad E. Shennum, Richard W. Thorington: Allosciurus aubinnii, Slender-tailed Squirrel (Aubinn's Squirrel). In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, p. 41; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .
- ↑ a b c d Peter Grubb: Genus Allosciurus, Slender-tailed Squirrel. In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold and Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa Volume III. Rodents, Hares and Rabbits. Bloomsbury, London 2013, p. 40; ISBN 978-1-4081-2253-2 .
- ↑ a b Protoxerus aubinnii in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2013.1. Posted by: Decher, J. & Grubb, P., 2008. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
- ↑ a b c d Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Protoxerus aubinnii 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. 246-247. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Web links
- Protoxerus aubinnii inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.1. Posted by: Decher, J. & Grubb, P., 2008. Retrieved November 1, 2013.