Forest giant squirrel
Mean oil palm squirrel
The congregation oil palm squirrel ( Protoxerus stangeri ) is an arboreal representatives of the family of squirrels. Together with the slim tail squirrel ( Protoxerus aubinnii ) it forms a genus of oil palm squirrel.
Features
The congregation oil palm squirrel reaches a head-body length of about 27 to 30 centimeters and a tail length of about 30 centimeters also. The mean head-body length is 28.0 inches with the females 27.6 inches and in the males. The weight ranges from about 540 grams to 660 grams. It is one of the largest tree squirrels within its range.
The back fur is brown, but may be red and rich yellow-brown to almost black in its tinting. The abdomen is sparsely hairy and white, yellow or darker. The bushy tail is gray with indistinct darker banding. The tail is raised when running just behind the body, placed laterally when resting. The fur color varies regionally and between the subspecies, sometimes significantly.
Dissemination
This species is found in the forest areas of West and Central Africa. The range extends from Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa through Uganda and Rwanda to the Kakamega Forest National Reserve in Keniaund south to northern Angola. In Angola, as well as in the Angolan region bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, there are also two isolated occurrences of Art addition, the species lives on the belonging to Equatorial Guinea Bioko Island.
The height distribution of the species extends up to about 2000 meters. You can find this type on agricultural land.
Way of life
The congregation oil palm squirrel comes in lowland and Saumwäldern before within its range, but also lives in agricultural lands and in secondary forests and plantations. It is arboreal ( arboreal ) and lives mainly in the upper tree crown areas, on the ground it is rare. The animals are diurnal and can be observed from dawn until late afternoon.
The squirrels make nests in tree hollows or in crotches. The nest is made of twigs and fresh leaves and partially used for several years. The animals live as solitary and avoid encounters with conspecifics outside the mating season and the rearing of young animals. Accordingly, to go it alone in search of food and behave towards other squirrels in the trees food aggressive. The subadult and adult females use areas from 3.2 to 5 acres. The communication takes place mainly via two different alarm calls. The milder alarm call consists of several done sequentially under her breath and Nieslauten, supplemented by clicking sounds that are generated by the teeth. The stronger alarm call is a series of calls with decreasing frequency, which is repeated every 5 to 20 seconds. Compared with unknown objects respond to the Squirrel, by raising the tail over the back and let him swing over the back.
Nutrition
The squirrel eats seeds and fruits of various tree and liana species, including the fruit of the oil palm and date palm ( Phoenix). In addition, species such as panda oleosa, Coula edulis and various species of the genera Klaineodaxa, Irvingia, Pseudospondias, Musanga, Parinari, Chrysophyllum, Carapa, Caloncoba, Cordia and Urera. In addition, they also consume small amounts of leaves and insects, occasionally they were also blamed for the killing of nesting hornbills.
Reproduction
About the propagation of croissants little is known. She's probably not tied to a particular season, as females with pups were observed at different times. Pursue the mating the males, the females ready for mating before they copulate this. The females give birth probably once or twice a year and give birth in each case one or two pups.
Predators
Among the predators of the commons oil palm squirrel, especially eagles and other birds of prey play a role, as the squirrels reside mainly in the higher treetops.
System
The congregation oil palm squirrel is classified as a separate species within the genus of oil palm squirrel ( Protoxerus ), which is formed from it and the slim tail squirrel ( Protoxerus aubinnii ). The first scientific description was created by George Robert Waterhouse from 1842 on the basis of an individual from the island of Bioko, Equatorial Guinea.
Within the widespread nature twelve subspecies are distinguished:
- Protoxerus stangeri stangeri from the island of Bioko ( nominate )
- Protoxerus stangeri bea from the Kakamega Forest in Kenya
- Protoxerus stangeri centricola from Mount Nkungwe in Tanzania
- Protoxerus stangeri cooperi from the Sango Bay Forest in Uganda
- Protoxerus stangeri eborivorus from Gabon, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and the Central African Republic
- Protoxerus stangeri Kabobo from Mount Kabobo in the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Protoxerus stangeri Kwango from Kwango in the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Protoxerus stangeri loandae from the forests in northern Angola
- Protoxerus stangeri nigeriae from Togo, Benin and Nigeria
- Protoxerus stangeri personatus from the mouth region of the Congo in the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Protoxerus stangeri signatus from the area around Lodja on Lukenje in the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Protoxerus stangeri temminckii of Sierra Leone and Liberia east to Ghana
Inventory and hazard protection
The congregation oil palm squirrel is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources ( IUCN) as not at risk ( " least concern " ), because it occurs frequently in his comparatively large distribution area and there are no major threats. It is also very adaptable to changing habitats and occurs in several protected areas such as the Tai National Park in Ivory Coast and the Kibale National Park in Uganda. A potential risk is represented by the habitat loss in the conversion of forest areas, but the squirrels can survive in agricultural land and cocoa plantations.
In parts of its range, the squirrel is hunted as bushmeat and consumed.