Anomalurus

Beecroft's thorn tail squirrel ( Anomalurus beecrofti )

The Real thorn tail squirrel ( Anomalurus ) are four species, the largest genus of stem-tail squirrels, a family of African, slippery rodents.

These are the typical representative of spike tail squirrel. You have head torso lengths from 22 to 43 cm, added 15 to 45 cm tail. The eponymous thorn-like scales on the tail base are available as well as the sliding skin with which they sail from tree to tree. The claws are very sharp and provide a good grip when climbing vertical tree trunks. Have they reached a certain height, they come with their sliding to the next tree. Here, a flight over 100 m is on a Lord Derby thorn tail Squirrel been confirmed and unconfirmed reports even speak of 250 m. But mostly likely much smaller distances be sufficient to reach the next tree in the rain forest habitat.

True Gleitschwanzhörnchen are nocturnal and sleep during the day in tree hollows. They feed on all kinds of plant materials (bark, fruits, flowers, leaves, nuts ) and the way of insects.

The four types are:

• Beecroft's thorn tail Squirrel, Anomalurus beecrofti, West and Central Africa
• Pel -spine tail Squirrel, Anomalurus pelii, West Africa
• Lord Derby thorn tail Squirrel, Anomalurus derbianus, West, Central and East Africa
• Dwarf thorn tail Squirrel, Anomalurus pusillus, Central Africa

The Beecroft thorn tail squirrel is sometimes assigned to a separate genus Anomalurops.