Sulawesi giant squirrel

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Sulawesi giant squirrel
Systematics
Order : Rodents (Rodentia)
Subordination : Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family : Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily : Squirrel (Callosciurinae)
Genre : Rubrisciurus
Type : Sulawesi giant squirrel
Scientific name of the  genus
Rubrisciurus
Ellerman , 1954
Scientific name of the  species
Rubrisciurus rubriventer
( Müller & Schlegel , 1844)

The Sulawesi giant squirrel ( Rubrisciurus rubriventer ) is a species of squirrel that is endemic to the island of Sulawesi, which belongs to Indonesia . It is the only species of the monotypical genus Rubrisciurus .

features

The Sulawesi giant squirrel reaches a head-to-trunk length of around 25 to 30.5 centimeters and a weight of 500 to 860 grams. It is the largest squirrel on the island of Sulawesi. The tail reaches a length of 18 to 25.5 centimeters and is thus significantly shorter than the rest of the body. The back and the head of the animals are brown with a distinct mottling with sand-brown, red-brown and black spots. The belly side is light red-brown, from here the color extends to the legs and the also red-brown tail. The color of the abdomen changes over the shoulders to a darker chestnut brown. The ears have clear tufts of shiny black hair. The eyes have a dark crescent-shaped pattern on top and are surrounded by a sand-brown eye ring. The youth coloring corresponds to that of the adult animals, but is muted and therefore more indistinct.

distribution

The Sulawesi giant squirrel is likely to be found all over the island of Sulawesi.

The Sulawesi giant squirrel is endemic to the island of Sulawesi , which belongs to Indonesia . It is assumed that it occurs in almost all forested areas of the island, but there is no reliable data from the central area and the southwest. In the area of ​​the Gunung Lompobatang volcano , some areas have been completely deforested and will probably no longer be found here.

Way of life

The Sulawesi giant squirrel, like all other types of beautiful squirrels, is forest-bound. It occurs in the primary rainforests of the lowlands and the low to medium mountain forests of the island up to heights of 1512 meters. It is diurnal and, like most squirrels, feeds primarily on plants, especially fruits and seeds, plus insects. The strong structure of the skull indicates that they can also open hard nuts and seeds. The animals usually live hidden and quiet, often they are only spotted by the loud gnawing on the hard fruits of the Pangium edule . The foraging for food takes place mainly in the lower area of ​​the forests, in the undergrowth and on the ground and never in the tall trees.

Sulawesi giant squirrels build around 30 centimeters large, round nests from plant material, such as the fibers of the sugar palm , which they place in tree hollows near the ground. Usually only one embryo could be identified in captured females, they have four teats in two pairs each.

Systematics

The Sulawesi giant squirrel is the only species to be classified in the monotypical genus Rubrisciurus . The first scientific description comes from Müller & Schlegel from 1844, who described the species using individuals from the northeast of the island of Sulawesi.

Apart from the nominate form, no further subspecies are distinguished within the species .

Status, threat and protection

The Sulawesi Giant Squirrel is classified as Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). The threat is justified by the decline in stocks of over 30% in recent years due to the increasing deforestation of the island of Sulawesi, especially in the lowlands, as well as the direct, but rare, hunting of the animals.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 181-182. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
  2. ↑ a b c Rubrisciurus rubriventer in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.2. Posted by: K. Helgen, K. Aplin, 2008. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  3. ↑ a b c Rubrisciurus rubriventer . In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): 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 .
  4. ^ JL Koprowski, EA Goldstein, KR Bennett, C. Pereira Mendes: Sulawesi Giant Squirrel Rubrisciurus rubriventer. In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (Eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Volume 6) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016, ISBN 978- 84-941892-3-4 , pp. 717-718.

literature

  • JL Koprowski, EA Goldstein, KR Bennett, C. Pereira Mendes: Sulawesi Giant Squirrel Rubrisciurus rubriventer. In: Don E. Wilson, TE Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (Eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Volume 6) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016, ISBN 978- 84-941892-3-4 , pp. 717-718.
  • Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 181-182. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1

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