Sipora flying squirrel
| Sipora flying squirrel | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Hylopetes sipora | ||||||||||||
| Chasen , 1940 |
The Sipora flying squirrel ( Hylopetes sipora ) is a flying squirrel from the genus of the horseshoe flying squirrel ( Hylopetes ). The species occurs exclusively on the island of Sipora , one of the Mentawai islands in Indonesia .
features
The Sipora flying squirrel reaches a head-torso length of about 14 centimeters and a weight of about 90 grams. The back color is brown, the ventral side is sandy-brown to orange-sandy-brown with a white spot on the throat. The tail is dark brown to black, slightly lighter at the base and with a white tip. The hands and feet are dark brown.
Like all flying 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 Sipora flying squirrel occurs exclusively and therefore endemic to the island of Sipora , one of the Mentawai islands in Indonesia . The island is located southwest off the coast of Sumatra .
Way of life
Very little data is available on the way of life of the flying squirrel. The habitat is in the lowlands in the tropical to subtropical primary forest . Like other species, it is likely to be strictly arboreal and nocturnal.
Together with the Mentawai flying squirrel ( iomys Sipora ), the Siberut flying squirrel ( Petinomys lugens ), the Mentawai croissant ( Callosciurus melanogaster ), Leopoldamys siporanus , Maxomys pagensis , Chiropodomys karlkoopmani , Rattus lugens , the Mentawai tree squirrels ( Fraternal Squirrel ) and To the Mentawai three-striped squirrel ( Lariscus obscurus ), the Sipora flying squirrel is the endemic rodent fauna of the Mentawai Islands.
Systematics
The Sipora flying squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the horseshoe flying squirrel ( Hylopetes ), which contains a total of nine species. The first scientific description comes from Frederick Nutter Chasen in 1940 using an individual from the island of Sipora. Originally the Sipora flying squirrel was assigned to the red- cheeked flying squirrel ( Hylopetes spadiceus ).
No subspecies are distinguished within the species.
Existence, endangerment and protection
The Sipora flying squirrel is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) due to its small distribution area and the decline in the population . The distribution area is limited to the only 845 km 2 large island of Sipora, at the same time the populations of the species are declining due to the logging and the associated habitat deterioration on the island. The loss of habitat due to the conversion of forests into agricultural areas and logging are regarded as the main source of risk.
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; P. 103. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d Hylopetes sipora in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.1. Posted by: L. Ruedas, JW Duckworth, B. Lee, RJ Tizard, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
- ↑ Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Leopoldamys siporanus in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
- ↑ a b c d Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Hylopetes sipora 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. 103. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Web links
- Hylopetes sipora inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.1. Posted by: L. Ruedas, JW Duckworth, B. Lee, RJ Tizard, 2008. Retrieved July 2, 2014.