Tamiops mcclellandun (Horsfield, 1840)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6840515 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FFC0-ED3E-FAFC-FB1FFB25F5F0 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Tamiops mcclellandun |
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Himalayan Striped Squirrel
French: Ecureuil de I'Himalaya / German: Himalaya-Zwergstreifenhérnchen / Spanish: Ardilla rayada del Himalaya
Taxonomy. Sciurus mcclellandii Horsfield, 1840 ,
Bengal and Assam, India. Restricted
byJ. R. Ellerman in 1940 to Assam.
There is some disagreement about the species taxonomy, and it may be a species complex. Six subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
T. m. meclellandin Horsfield, 1840 — E Nepal, Bhutan, NE India (including Sikkim), and N Myanmar.
T. m. barbei Blyth, 1847 — S Myanmar.
T. m. collinus Moore, 1958 — S China, NW Laos, W Cambodia, SE Thailand, and neighboring areas of Myanmar.
T. m. inconstans Thomas, 1920 — N Vietnam and the adjacent areas of S China
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T.m.kongensisBonhote,1901—N&WThailand.
T. m. leucotis Temminck, 1853 — Malay Peninsula.
Descriptive notes. Head-body mean 114 mm (males) and 113 mm (females), tail mean 108 mm (males) and 109 mm (females); weight mean 49-4 g (males) and 51-8 g (females). In the Himalayan Striped Squirrel, the mid-dorsal black stripe is not bisected by a longitudinal pale stripe, as in the Cambodian Striped Squirrel (7. rodolphiz). Pale stripe next to mid-dorsal black stripe is fainter than the most lateral pale stripe. Facial stripe from rostrum is continuous with the most lateral pale stripe of dorsum. Venteris ocherous. The Himalayan Striped Squirrel is smaller than Swinhoe’s Striped Squirrel (7. swinhoei), with a shorter and less dense pelage and more vivid stripes. Nominate subspecies mecclellandii has a 4mm wide mid-dorsal black stripe from nape to rump,lateral black stripes extend from shoulders to rump and pale stripes are vivid buffy yellow, extending from rostrum, below eyes and ears, ending at the rump. Venter is buff without any reddish fur. Subspecies barbei has a more reddish or reddish orange dorsum and a cinnamon-rufous or ferruginous venter. Subspecies collinus has dorsal fur that is darker than that of kongensis, less red than barbei and with stronger stripes than mecclellandii or inconstans. Venter is more orange and less yellow than that of leucotis. Subspecies inconstans has discrete dorsalstripes and yellowish buff or light orange venter. Subspecies kongensis is similar to barbei, but paler, with generally light gray coloration. Dorsal pale stripes are pale buffy yellow and venter is ocherous-buff. Subspecies leucotis is similar to barbei, but lacks reddish coloration and is more yellowish in venter.
Habitat. Tropical and subtropical forests, in areas with fruit trees nearvillages, and in coconut plantations. The Himalayan Striped Squirrel is mostly montane in its southern distribution on the Malay Peninsula, but it occurs at lower elevations in northern areas. In China, this species occurs in areas above elevations of ¢.700 m, but below the elevational distribution of Swinhoe’s Striped Squirrel.
Food and Feeding. Diet of the Himalayan Striped Squirrel consists offruits, vegetable matter, and insects.
Breeding. No specific information is available for this species, but female Himalayan Striped Squirrels have three pairs of teats, one pectoral and two inguinal. Mean litter size is 2-3.
Activity patterns. The Himalayan Striped Squirrel is arboreal and very cryptic, using mostly the higher strata of forest. Its vocalization is described as a harsh “chick” call
and the nests are built in tree holes. It moves through the forest, alternating quick dashes with static periods, with tail usually straight out behind the body. When frightened,it flattens its body and tail against a tree trunk and remains motionless.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Himalayan Striped Squirrel is sometimes seen in pairs or small groups.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Himalayan Striped Squirrel presents a wide distribution, a presumed large population, and a stable population trend. It is generally resistant to hunting pressure and highly adaptable to habitat degradation. It is also found in association with humans in fruit trees and coconut palm plantations.
Bibliography. Blyth (1847), Bonhote (1900), Duckworth, Lunde & Molur (2008a), Ellerman (1940), Hayssen et al. (1993), Moore (1958b), Smith & Yan Xie (2008), Thomas (1920e), 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.
