Mentawai pointed squirrel

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Mentawai pointed squirrel
Systematics
Subclass : Higher mammals (Eutheria)
Superordinate : Euarchontoglires
Order : Pointed Squirrel (Scandentia)
Family : Tupaiidae
Genre : Real pointed squirrel ( Tupaia )
Type : Mentawai pointed squirrel
Scientific name
Tupaia chrysogaster
Miller , 1903

The Mentawai tree shrews ( Tupaia chrysogaster ) is endemic to the south-west coast of Sumatra offshore Mentawai Islands North Pagai , South Pagai , Sipora and Siberut ago.

Location of the Mentawai Islands , home of the Mentawai shrews, southwest of Sumatra

features

The Mentawai pointed squirrel is a relatively large species of pointed squirrel and reaches a head-trunk length of 18 to 22 cm, has a 12.5 to 15 cm long tail, 1.3 to 1.7 cm long ears and 4.3 to 4 cm , 3 cm long hind feet. The weight of the animals has not yet been determined. The top of the body is uniformly brown in color with a slight reddish tinge. The ventral side is tan . The tail is covered with short, 10 mm long hair. The short, light stripes on the shoulders typical of many Tupaia species can only be seen indistinctly in the Mentawai shrews, while others are absent. The females only have two teats.

Way of life

The Mentawai pointed squirrel occurs in undisturbed lowland rainforests up to heights of 1000 meters. So far nothing is known about the behavior, the way of life, the diet, the activity patterns and the reproduction of the Java shrew. It's probably diurnal. The generalized structure of the skull does not allow any conclusions to be drawn about the diet of the Mentawai shrew.

Systematics

The Mentawai pointed squirrel was first scientifically described in 1903 by the American zoologist Gerrit Smith Miller . The Siberut shrewfish population , which used to be considered a subspecies of the common shrewfish ( Tupaia glis siberut ), is now classified as the Mentawai shrewhorn .

Danger

The IUCN assesses the population of the Mentawai pointed squirrel as endangered (Vulnerable). Its distribution area on the four islands is small and has an area of ​​only 4150 km². The greatest threat to the animal population is ongoing deforestation.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e Melissa Hawkins: Family Tupaiidae (Treeshrews). In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 8: Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2018, ISBN 978-84-16728-08-4 , pp. 242–269 (p. 265)
  2. ↑ Eric J. Sargis, Neal Woodman, Aspen T. Reese, Link E. Olson: Using hand proportions to test taxonomic boundaries within the Tupaia glis species complex (Scandentia, Tupaiidae). Journal of Mammalogy 94 (1), 2013, pp. 183-201 DOI: 10.1644 / 11-MAMM-A-343.1 . Page 185.
  3. ↑ Tupaia chrysogaster in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2018 Posted by: Sargis, E. & Kennerley, R., 2017. Accessed on March 27 of 2019.