Geosciurus princeps (Thomas, 1929)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6840608 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FF87-ED7B-FA6A-F783FB83F4C8 |
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Diego |
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scientific name |
Geosciurus princeps |
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Damara Ground Squirrel
Geosciurus princeps View in CoL
French: Ecureuil du Kaokoveld / German: Damara-Borstenhdrnchen / Spanish: Ardilla terrestre de los Damara
Other common names: Kaokoveld Ground Squirrel, Mountain Ground Squirrel
Taxonomy. Geosciurus princeps Thomas, 1929 View in CoL ,
“Ogitundua, C Koakoveld, N Na-
mibia.”
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. SW Angola through W Namibia to near border with South Africa.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 225-290 mm, tail 210-282 mm; weight c.640 g. The Damara Ground Squirrel has pale cinnamon-brown dorsum, with black skin and longitudinal white stripe running from shoulder to hips. Eyering is white and obvious. Venteris white. Snout and face are washed with buff to white. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 38 and FN = 68, Karyotype consists of seven pairs of metacentric autosomes, nine pairs of submetacentric autosomes, two pairs ofacrocentric autosomes, submetacentric X-chromosome, and metacentric Y-chromosome.
Habitat. Rocky slopes with sparse vegetation in the extremely arid Nama Karoo and Succulent Karoo biomes.
Food and Feeding. The Damara Ground Squirrel is predominantly herbivorous and feeds on grass stems and roots and mopanetree leaves (Colophospermum mopane, Fabaceae). It will occasionally eat invertebrates, especially plant lice.
Breeding. Adult male Damara Ground Squirrels are quite mobile during winterbreeding andseek female groups for mating. Gestation lasts 42-49 days; litters of 1-3 young are born in burrows. Young open their eyes at ¢.21 days after birth and disperse from natal areas.
Activity patterns. The Damara Ground Squirrel is diurnal but clearly sensitive to extreme temperatures in arid deserts ofsouth-western Africa. In summer, individuals leave their burrows to groom and bask in the sun and then depart to forage, often not returning until sunset. Individuals reduceactivity during the heat ofthe day and
use non-nesting burrows and shade from their own tails and vegetation to cool. They remain active at temperatures as high as 35°C.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Damara Ground Squirrels are solitary or live in loose mother{juvenile family groups of 2—4 adult females. Adult males are solitary. Both sexes can wander up to 1 km/day from their nest burrows. Amicable behavior is uncommon, and aggression occurs more frequently. Burrows are found in open rocky areas and are simple, with 2-5 openings and a single nest chamberless than 1 m below the surface. A small mound of excavated soil may delineate burrow entrances. Burrows are often spaced more than 80 m from other systems and more than 200 m from burrow systems of the South African Ground Squirrel (G. inauris). Burrows are 25°C at night in contrast to outside temperatures of 10°C; during the day at 32°C, burrows are 26°C.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Damara Ground Squirrel is widespread, presumably has large populations, and occurs in a number of protected areas. Population trends are stable, and it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify forlisting in a more threatened category.
Bibliography. De Graaff (1981), Haim et al. (1987), Herzig-Straschil & Herzig (1989), Herzig-Straschil et al. (1991), Roberts (1951), Robinson et al. (1986), Shortridge (1934a), Skinner & Chimimba (2005), Thomas (1929), Thorington etal. (2012), Waterman (2013c), Waterman & Herron (2004), Zumpt (1966).
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.
