Heliosciurus ruwenzorii (Schwann, 1904)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6819059 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FFBA-ED47-FA13-FCD6F598FDD1 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Heliosciurus ruwenzorii |
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Ruwenzori Sun Squirrel
Heliosciurus ruwenzorii View in CoL
French: Ecureuil du Ruwenzori / German: Ruwenzori-Sonnenhérnchen / Spanish: Ardilla sol de Ruwenzori
Taxonomy. Sciurus rufobrachiatus ruwenzorii Schwann, 1904 ,
“Wimi Valley, Ruwenzori,”
eastern DR Congo.
Four subspecies are recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
H.p.ruwenzoriiSchwann,1904—WUgandaandEDRCongo(RwenzoriMts).
H.p.ituriensisPrigogone,1954—EDRCongoinMtsWofLakeAlbert.
H. p. vulcanius Thomas, 1909 — E DR Congo (NW of Lake Tanganyka), SW Rwanda (Nyungwe Forest National Park), and NW Burundi (Kibira National Park).
Descriptive notes. Head—body mean 224-5 mm (males) and 209 mm (females), tail mean 252-6 mm (males) and 249-3 mm (females); weight ¢.300 g. The Ruwenzori Sun Squirrel is medium-sized and has medium-gray dorsal pelage, with white chin, throat, chest, and ventral pelage. Tail is impressively long and slender, with heavy annulations of gray and white to cream. Subspecies ituriensis has darker ventral pelage and tail than nominate ruwenzorii, with paler brown hair on hindfeet. Subspecies schoutedeniis brown on lower face and feet. Ventral pelago is light buff to tan. Subspecies vulcanius is characterized by brown black dorsal pelage, speckled with buff and reddish tinge to feet and sides of venter.
Habitat. Forested alpine habitats at elevations of 1600-2700 m. The Ruwenzori Sun Squirrel tolerates modest disturbance and exists in cultivated plantations and secondary forest. Subspecies vulcanius appears most commonly in sparsely forested and cultivated areas.
Food and Feeding. The Ruwenzori Sun Squirrel is herbivorous and eats seeds, fruits, flowers, and green vegetation of trees, shrubs, and herbs; it occasionally eats insects and lichens. It can be a pest in farmlands and plantations and eats guavas, papayas, bananas, and palm nuts.
Breeding. One pregnant Ruwenzori Sun Squirrel had three large young in March, indicating that females may come into estrus and mate again before previouslitters are weaned and independent.
Activity patterns. The Ruwenzori Sun Squirrel is diurnal and tends to forage low in the canopy, although it occasionally explores the upper canopy. Nests of grass and leaves are constructed in crooks of branches or tall shrubs.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Ruwenzori Sun Squirrel appears to be asocial, with only occasional reports of interactions between two individuals. Individuals usually hold tails horizontal to body surface but move it rapidly when alarmed. Vocalizations are loud chatter calls.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Ruwenzori Sun Squirrel is widespread, presumably has large populations, and occurs in protected areas. No information is available on population trends, but it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.
Bibliography. Kingdon (1974), Rahm & Christiaensen (1963), Thomas (1909b), Thorington et al. (2012).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
