Swinhoe chipmunk

Swinhoe chipmunk
	Swinhoe tree chipmunk ( Tamiops swinhoei )
Systematics
Order :	Rodents (Rodentia)
Subordination :	Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family :	Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily :	Squirrel (Callosciurinae)
Genre :	Tree Chipmunk ( Tamiops )
Type :	Swinhoe chipmunk
Scientific name
	Tamiops swinhoei
	( Milne-Edwards , 1874)

The Swinhoe chipmunk or Chinese tree chipmunk ( Tamiops swinhoei ) is a type of squirrel from the tree chipmunk ( Tamiops ) genus . It occurs in the central and southern People's Republic of China as well as northern Myanmar and Vietnam .

features

The Swinhoe chipmunk reaches a head-torso length of about 14.0 to 16.4 centimeters with a weight of about 67 to 90 grams, making it the largest species of the genus. The tail becomes 6.7 to 11.6 centimeters long and is thus slightly shorter than the rest of the body. The hind foot becomes 28 to 35 millimeters long, the ear length is 9 to 16 millimeters. The fur of the animals is soft and long, the basic color of the back is olive brown to gray. There are three dark vertical stripes on it, separated by light brown stripes. The middle stripe is black and about 9 to 10 millimeters wide, the two outer ones are lighter brown. The stripes in between are light olive-yellow to gray, sometimes also sand-colored. There is a pale stripe under the eye, which, unlike that of the Himalayan chipmunk ( Tamiops mcclellandii ), has no contact with the light stripe on the back. The ventral side is whitish.

1	·	0	·	2	·	3	= 22
1	·	0	·	1	·	3	= 22

Tooth formula of the beautiful squirrel

The skull has a total length of 31 to 41 millimeters and corresponds in structure to that of other species of the genus. All species of the genus have a a maxillary per half incisor tooth formed incisor (incisor) to which a tooth gap ( diastema follows). This is followed by two premolars and three molars . In contrast, only one premolar is formed in the lower jaw. In total, the animals have a set of 22 teeth.

distribution

The swinhoe chipmunk is found in the central and southern People's Republic of China as well as northern Myanmar and Vietnam . It could also occur in northern Laos , but there is no evidence. In the People's Republic of China, the area includes parts of the provinces of Yunnan , Sichuan and Xizang as well as Hebei and Beijing , Henan , Shaanxi , Shanxi , Gansu , Ningxia and Hubei .

The altitude distribution ranges from 1000 to about 3900 meters. With the distribution area of the Himalayan chipmunk there is only slight overlap in the southwest of the distribution area, where the animals, however, occur at significantly different heights. The Swinhoe chipmunk lives in these areas at altitudes of 2500 to 3000 meters in deciduous and coniferous forests below the snow line, while the Himalayan chipmunk lives in these areas in the lower elevations and in the lowlands in tropical forests at heights of 300 to 600 meters.

Way of life

The swinhoe chipmunk lives in almost all tree populations in its range, including secondary forests and gardens. It is largely twilight-active and tree-living, while it inhabits caves in the tree trunks; very rarely the animals can also be observed on the ground. It moves with great leaps between the trees.

The squirrels feed mainly on young buds, fruits and insects. Communication is through loud, high-pitched calls similar to those of birds.

Systematics

The Swinhoe chipmunk is classified as a separate species within the genus of the tree chipmunk ( Tamiops ), which consists of four species. The first scientific description comes from Henri Milne Edwards from 1874, who described the species on the basis of individuals from Baoxing in the Sichuan province in China. Various authors see the coastal chipmunk ( Tamiops maritimus ) as a subspecies of the swinhoe chipmunk.

Within the species, four subspecies are distinguished together with the nominate form :

Tamiops swinhoei swinhoei (nominate form) in southern China in Sichuan and in northern Yunnan. The basic color is yellowish-brown, the middle stripe on the back is wider than that of the Himalayan chipmunk ( Tamiops mcclellandii ). The light side stripe is cloudy yellow and is not in contact with the cheek stripe. The belly is sandy-white.

Tamiops swinhoei olivaceus in Vietnam and southern Yunnan. The shape is very dark in its basic color.

Tamiops swinhoei spencei in northern Myanmar as well as in northwestern Yunnan and southeastern Xizang. In this subspecies the light side stripes are very indistinct.

Tamiops swinhoei vestitus in northern China. The subspecies is paler than the nominate form and the light side stripes are also very pale.

In contrast, Smith & Yan Xie 2009 distinguish eight subspecies for China alone. In addition to the ones mentioned, they name T. s. chingpingensis from western Yunnan, T. s. clarkei from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in Yunnan, T. s. forresti (originally described as a subspecies of the coastal chipmunk) in the Lijiang mountain range and T. s. russeolus from the area between the upper Yangtze and the Mekong in Yunnan and Sichuan.

Status, threat and protection

The Swinhoe chipmunk is classified 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 of the species. There are no potential threats to the existence of this species.

supporting documents

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Swinhoe's Striped Squirrel. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 189.
^ ^A ^b ^c Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 198-199. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
^ Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Genus Tamiops. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , pp. 187 ff.
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Tamiops swinhoei in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2014.2. Listed by: JW Duckworth, SD Lunde, 2008. Retrieved December 24, 2014.
↑ ^a ^b ^c Tamiops swinhoei 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 .

literature

Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 198-199. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1
Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Swinhoe's Striped Squirrel. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 189.

Web links

Tamiops swinhoei inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2014.2. Listed by: JW Duckworth, SD Lunde, 2008. Retrieved December 24, 2014.

[Smith_&_Yan_Xie_2009-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Swinhoe's Striped Squirrel. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , p. 189.

[Thorington_et_al._2012-2] A ^b ^c Richard W. Thorington Jr., John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012; Pp. 198-199. ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1

[Smith_&_Yan_Xie_2009_Tamiops-3] Robert S. Hoffmann, Andrew T. Smith: Genus Tamiops. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ 2008, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 , pp. 187 ff.

[IUCN-4] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g Tamiops swinhoei in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2014.2. Listed by: JW Duckworth, SD Lunde, 2008. Retrieved December 24, 2014.

[Wilson_&_Reeder_2005-5] Tamiops swinhoei 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 .