Slender-tailed squirrel
The slim tail squirrel ( Protoxerus aubinnii ) is an arboreal representatives of the family of squirrels. Together with the commons oil palm squirrel ( Protoxerus stangeri ) it forms a genus of oil palm squirrel.
Features
The Slim squirrel tail reaches a head-body length of about 24 centimeters and a tail length of about 30 centimeters. The weight is about 400 to 450 grams. It is thus a relatively large croissant.
The back fur is brown to dark brown with red and yellow brown wrapping. The belly is lighter colored brown. The ears are small and round, they are covered with dense hair. The long tail is black and towards the end on the upper side yellow to mottled yellow brown.
Dissemination
The slim tail squirrel comes in the forest areas of West Africa, from the south-east of Sierra Leone and southern Guinea to Liberia and the Ivory Coast, to the south-west of Ghana before.
Way of life
The slim tail squirrel lives in the raffia palm trees and the understory of rain forests in the plains. About his lifestyle no further information.
System
The slim tail squirrel is classified as a separate species within the genus of oil palm squirrel ( Protoxerus ) made him and the commons oil palm squirrel ( Protoxerus stangeri ) is formed. The first scientific description comes from John Edward Gray in 1873 on the basis of an individual from the Ashanti Region in Ghana. Some of the species was classified in the separate genus Allosciurus.
Within the species, two subspecies are distinguished, The nominate Protoxerus aubinnii aubinnii occurs in Ivory Coast and Ghana, Protoxerus aubinnii Salae lives in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia.
Inventory and hazard protection
The slim tail squirrel is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN ) due to insufficient data on the abundance and biology of the species in any danger level, but listed with the note " data deficient ". Hazard causes are not known, but the forests were partially greatly reduced in the northern Guinea.