Central American miniature squirrel

Central American miniature squirrel
Systematics
Subordination :	Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family :	Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily :	Tree squirrel and flying squirrel (Sciurinae)
Tribe :	Tree squirrel (Sciurini)
Genre :	Newworldly miniature squirrel ( Microsciurus )
Type :	Central American miniature squirrel
Scientific name
	Microsciurus alfari
	( Allen , 1895)

The Central American dwarf squirrel ( Microsciurus alfari ) is a species of squirrel from the genus of the New World dwarf squirrel ( Microsciurus ). It occurs in Central America from southern Nicaragua to northern Colombia .

features

The Central American dwarf squirrel reaches a head-trunk length of about 10.8 to 14.6 centimeters with a weight of 72 to 105 grams. The tail becomes 8.0 to 13.0 centimeters long and is thus slightly shorter than the rest of the body. The back fur of the animals is matt olive-brown to black, sometimes with a reddish tinge. The ventral side is matt sand-colored to pale orange. There are often white spots around the ears. The tail is olive-brown with an orange tint. The legs are comparatively long.

distribution

The Central American dwarf squirrel occurs in Central America from southern Nicaragua through Costa Rica and Panama to northern Colombia . The altitude distribution extends up to 2600 meters.

Way of life

The Central American miniature squirrel lives mainly in dense, evergreen rainforest areas and in higher-lying cloud forests , rarely in disturbed habitats. The species is diurnal and mainly looks for food on the ground and in the soil. It feeds on fruits, resin, plant sap (exudate) and insects. It moves quickly over the ground, along the tree trunks and lianas and through the vegetation. The animals are usually quiet, communication takes place via series of chatterers and high whistles.

It lives singly or in pairs. The female is probably mono-oen, so it is only ready to reproduce once a year.

Systematics

The Central American dwarf squirrel is classified as an independent species within the genus of the New World dwarf squirrel ( Microsciurus ), which consists of four species. The first scientific description comes from Joel Asaph Allen from 1895, who described the species using three female animals from Puerto Jiménez in Costa Rica . Allen described the species as Sciurus (Microsciurus) alfari in an article in the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History , in the same article he also described Microsciurus as a subgenus of Sciurus .

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

Microsciurus alfari alfari : nominate form; The subspecies lives in the northeast of Costa Rica in the area of the Turrialba volcano . Compared to M. a. venustulus it is more reddish in color.
Microsciurus alfari alticola : in the north-central part of Costa Rica. It is a comparatively large highland form with thick fur.
Microsciurus alfari browni : in the southwest of Costa Rica and in the north of Panama. It is a lowland form with a comparatively long tail.
Microsciurus alfari fusculus : In the southeast of Panama and in the north of Colombia. In this form, the top of the body is black-brown while the face, sides and throat are sand-colored to ocher-sand-colored.
Microsciurus alfari septentrionalis : in north-central Costa Rica to Nicaragua. The species has less of a reddish coat than other subspecies.
Microsciurus alfari venustulus : central Panama as well as on the Panamanian Caribbean coast. The subspecies has a lower proportion of red than the nominate form on the upper side of the body, this is mottled black-brown and cinnamon-reddish to rusty red. The feet are dark red-brown, the underside of the body is gray-brown.

The species was named after the zoologist, geologist and explorer Anastasio Alfaro , who collected the type material together with George K. Cherrie in Costa Rica.

Status, threat and protection

The Central American miniature squirrel 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 in several protected areas. A potential threat to the existence of this species is not known, however, as a tree dweller, the species is sensitive to heavy clearing in its habitat.

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, ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 , pp. 32-33 .

↑ ^a ^b ^c Microsciurus alfari in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.1. Posted by: J. Koprowski, L. Roth, L. Emmons, R. Timm, T. McCarthy, R. Samudio, 2008. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
↑ ^a ^b Microsciurus alfari 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 .
↑ ^a ^b J.A. Allen: Descriptions of new American mammals. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 7, 1905; Pp. 332-333. ( Full text )

literature

Richard W. Thorington Jr. , John L. Koprowski, Michael A. Steele: Squirrels of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2012, ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 , pp. 32-33 .

Web links

Commons : Central American Miniature Squirrel - Collection of images, videos, and audio files

Microsciurus alfari inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015.1. Posted by: J. Koprowski, L. Roth, L. Emmons, R. Timm, T. McCarthy, R. Samudio, 2008. Retrieved June 8, 2015.

[Thorington_et_al._2012-1] ↑ ^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, ISBN 978-1-4214-0469-1 , pp. 32-33 .