Sunda squirrel
| Sunda squirrel | ||||||||||||
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Sunda Squirrel ( Sundasciurus tenuis ) in Singapore |
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| Sundasciurus tenuis | ||||||||||||
| ( Horsfield , 1824) |
The Sunda slender squirrel ( Sundasciurus tenuis ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the Sunda tree squirrel ( Sundasciurus ). It occurs in Southeast Asia on the Malay Peninsula and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, as well as some smaller surrounding islands.
features
The Sunda slender squirrel reaches a head-torso length of about 13.8 to 14.0 centimeters with a weight of about 75 to 82 grams. The tail is about 11.3 to 11.4 centimeters long and thus slightly shorter than the rest of the body, it is long and slender compared to other species of the genus. The back color of the animals is uniformly cloudy brown and speckled. The ventral side is gray and consists of hair with a white or sand-colored tip. Around the eyes and above the whiskers the animals are pale brown, behind the ears there is usually a pale spot.
distribution
The Sunda Squirrel is found in Southeast Asia on the Malay Peninsula in southern Thailand and Malaysia and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo and some smaller surrounding islands. On Borneo, the species lives in the Indonesian part of Kalimantan as well as in the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak and in the Sultanate of Brunei .
Way of life
Little data is available on the way of life of the Sunda squirrel. It is diurnal and tree-living and, like other squirrels, lives primarily in primary and secondary forests , but also occurs in areas of deforested and disturbed habitats. It lives both in the lowlands and at high altitudes, but in the higher mountain regions of Borneo it is displaced by the Jentink croissant ( Sundasciurus jentinki ). It feeds mainly on bark and insects that live in the tree trunk, as well as seeds and fruits.
Systematics
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The Sunda slender squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the Sunda tree squirrel ( Sundasciurus ), which - depending on the author - consists of 15 to 17 species. The first scientific description comes from Thomas Walker Horsfield from 1824, who described the species on the basis of individuals from Singapore .
Within the species, five subspecies are distinguished together with the nominate form :
- Sundasciurus tenuis tenuis , nominate form, in southwest Thailand and on the Malay Peninsula; The animals have a cloudy brown back fur. Compared to the highland form Sundasciurus tahan , it is smaller and the underside is paler.
- Sundasciurus tenuis bancarus on the Banyak Islands off the west coast of Sumatra. The back is yellowish-brown, the underside gray with a whitish-sand-yellow tinge.
- Sundasciurus tenuis modestus in Sumatra. The underside of the animals is creamy white, the flanks have a reddish tinge. The color of the tail corresponds to the back, but the tip of the tail is black.
- Sundasciurus tenuis parvus on Borneo. The coloring corresponds to the nominate form, the underside a little more sand-colored.
- Sundasciurus tenuis procerus on the island of Bunguran . The subspecies corresponds to the nominate form, but is somewhat smaller.
Status, threat and protection
The Sunda squirrel is listed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). This is justified by the large distribution area and the frequent occurrence as well as the ability to adapt to changed habitat conditions. There are no known dangers to the population.
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. 193-195. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
- ↑ a b c d e Sundasciurus tenuis in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Listed by: JW Duckworth, E. Meijaard, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
- ↑ a b c Sundasciurus tenuis In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): 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 .
literature
- Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 193-195. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Web links
- Sundasciurus tenuis inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.3. Listed by: JW Duckworth, E. Meijaard, 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2015.