Selangor little squirrel
| Selangor little squirrel | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Petaurillus kinlochii | ||||||||||||
| ( Robinson & Kloss , 1911) |
The Selangor-Kleinstleitörnchen ( Petaurillus kinlochii ) is a sliding squirrel from the genus of the Kleinstleitörnchen ( Petaurillus ). It occurs exclusively in the Malay state of Selangor on the Malay peninsula.
features
Together with the other species of the genus, the Selangor small flying squirrel is one of the smallest species of flying squirrel, but is about twice as large as Emilia's small flying squirrel ( Petaurillus emiliae ). It reaches a head-torso length of about eight to nine centimeters and has a tail about as long. The weight is around 20 grams. The back and head color is brown with white spots behind the ears and the top of the sliding membrane is dark with a black border. The tail is light brown at the base and darkens towards the rear before ending in a wide white tip.
Like all dwarf gliding squirrels, it has a hairy skin that connects the wrists and ankles and is enlarged by a fold of skin between the hind legs and the base of the tail. The sliding skin is muscular and reinforced at the edge, it can be tensed and relaxed accordingly in order to control the direction of the gliding flight.
distribution
The Selangor tiny flying squirrel occurs exclusively in the Malay state of Selangor on the Malay peninsula.
Way of life
As for the other two species of the genus, almost no data are available on the way of life of the flying squirrel. It is strictly arboreal and nocturnal, sightings are rare. It occurs both in primary forests and in rubber plantations.
Due to their small size and light weight, the animals of the genus are likely to be able to glide more slowly and more deliberately than other flying squirrels. The Selangor squirrel was thought to communicate with the tip of its tail via optical signals, but this has not been confirmed.
Systematics
The Selangor-Kleinstleitörnchen is classified as an independent species within the genus of Kleinstleitörnchen ( Petaurillus ), which contains a total of three species. The first scientific description comes from Herbert Christopher Robinson and Cecil Boden Kloss from 1911 using an individual from Selangor on the Malay Peninsula.
No subspecies are distinguished within the species.
Existence, endangerment and protection
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) does not classify the Selangor small flying squirrel into a hazard category and list it as "data deficient" due to the limited amount of data available. The species has only been detected in very few places and there are no statements about the distribution area and the population of the animals, concrete surveys have not taken place.
The loss of habitat due to logging is seen as the main cause of danger.
supporting documents
- ↑ a b c d e f g Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 109. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d e Petaurillus kinlochii in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.1. Listed by: JW Duckworth, C. Francis, 2008. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
- ↑ a b c Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Petaurillus kinlochii 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; P. 109. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Web links
- Petaurillus kinlochii inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.1. Listed by: JW Duckworth, C. Francis, 2008. Retrieved June 25, 2014.