Sumatran flying squirrel

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sumatran flying squirrel
Systematics
Subordination : Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family : Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily : Tree squirrel and flying squirrel (Sciurinae)
Tribe : Flying Squirrel (Pteromyini)
Genre : Horseshoe Flying Squirrel ( Hylopetes )
Type : Sumatran flying squirrel
Scientific name
Hylopetes winstoni
( Sody , 1949)

The Sumatran flying squirrel ( Hylopetes winstoni ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the horseshoe flying squirrel ( Hylopetes ). So far it is only known from a single individual from the north of the island of Sumatra .

features

The body size of the only known individual of the species, a male, was 14.2 centimeters for the head-trunk length and 14.3 centimeters for the tail, which is about as long as the rest of the body. In appearance it largely corresponds to the Bartels flying squirrel ( Hylopetes bartelsi ) on the island of Java and its most striking feature is tufts of bristly hair in front of and above the ears and on the cheeks.

distribution

The Sumatran flying squirrel is only documented in one find from the east of the Aceh province in the north of the island of Sumatra , Indonesia . The animal was caught at an altitude of 1200 meters in the tropical primary forest .

Way of life

There is no information about the way of life of the Sumatran flying squirrel. It is assumed that it is strictly forest and tree-living and that its way of life corresponds to other species of the genus.

Systematics

The Sumatran flying squirrel is classified as a separate species within the genus of the horseshoe flying squirrel ( Hylopetes ), which consists of nine species. The first scientific description comes from Henri Jacob Victor Sody from 1949, who originally described the type specimen from the east of the province of Aceh on Sumatra as a species of Horsfield's flying squirrel (genus Iomys ). In 1992 the Sumatra flying squirrel was assigned to the horseshoe flying squirrel. Within the species Hylopetes winstoni , apart from the nominate form, no further subspecies are distinguished.

Status, threat and protection

No information is available about the population, the distribution area and the ecology of the Sumatran flying squirrel, it is scientifically documented only about a single individual. Due to insufficient data, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) does not classify it in a hazard class, but instead lists it as "data deficient". In older surveys, the species was considered critically endangered . It is believed that habitat loss due to the deforestation of primary forests is a major threat to the species.

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; P. 105. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
  2. ↑ a b c Hylopetes winstoni 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 .
  3. ^ Hylopetes winstoni in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: L. Ruedas, JW Duckworth, B. Lee, RJ Tizard, 2008. Retrieved May 31, 2014.

literature

  • Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; P. 105. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1

Web links