Callosciurus prevostii (Desmarest, 1822)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6818738 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FFD1-ED2D-FA11-FD33FE25F3A1 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Callosciurus prevostii |
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Prevost’s Squirrel
Callosciurus prevostii View in CoL
French: Ecureuil de Prévost / German: Prevost-Schénhérnchen / Spanish: Ardilla de Prevost
Other common names: Asian Tricolored Squirrel
Taxonomy. Sciurus prevostii Desmarest, 1822 ,
Malacca Province, Malaysia.
Extremely variable species with 47 named
forms. Seventeen subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
C.p.prevostiiDesmarest,1822—SPeninsularMalaysia,fromSPahangandNegeriSembilanstatesextendingS.
C.p.atroxMiller,1913—EBorneo,NorthandEastKalimantanprovinces,Indonesia.
C.p.caedisChasen&Kloss,1932—BanggiandBalembanganIs(offNBorneo),Malaysia.
C.p.coomansiSody,1949—WBorneo,anislandintheKapuasRiverDelta,Indonesia.
C.p.humeiBonhote,1901—WCPeninsularMalaysia,inSPerakandSelangorstates.
C.p.melanopsMiller,1902—ESumatra,andlikelyRupatI(offEcoast).
C.p.palustrisLyon,1907—WBorneo,justNoftheKapuasRiverinWestKalimantanProvince,Indonesia.
C.p.piceusPeters,1867—NSumatra.
C.p.plutoGray,1867—NBorneo,SabahandlikelyBrunei.
C.p.rafflesiiVigors&Horsfield,1828—SSumatra.
C.p.rufonigraGray,1842—LabuanI(offNWBorneo),Malaysia.
C.p.sanggausLyon,1907—SWBorneo,WestKalimantanProvince,SoftheKapuasRiver,Indonesia.
C.p.sarawakensisGray,1867—NWBorneo,Sarawak,Malaysia.
C.p.waringensisSody,1949—CSBorneo,WCentralKalimantanProvince,Indonesia.
C. p. wrayi Kloss 1910 — N Malay Peninsula, from theThai border into N Pahang and N Perak in Peninsular Malaysia. Subspecific affinities of the forms on SE Borneo mainland, Karimata I (off SW Borneo), Natuna and Belitung Is are unknown.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 237-241 mm,tail ¢.230 mm; weight 353-403 g. Prevost’s squirrel is an exceedingly variable species, sometimes tricolored and sometimes bicolored, commonly with a red belly delineated from a black or dark dorsum by a white stripe. Nominate subspecies prevostii is black on dorsum, with a lateral white stripe extending uninterrupted from nose to white thigh; a thin black line, ventral to lateral white stripe, extends between limbs. White cheeks are slightly grizzled. Subspecies atricapillus has an olive buff dorsum, with a black head and rump. Subspecies atrox has a black tail, with dorsum grizzled olive-buff. Subspecies borneoensis has a black dorsum, with shoulders tinged with red; thighs are gray, and both thighs and tail are grizzled. It has a distinct white lateral stripe. Subspecies caedis is all black on dorsum, without a lateral white stripe. It is similar to but geographically disjunct from pluto and rufonigra. Subspecies coomansi has a black dorsum, with shoulders tinged bright rufus; thighs are gray, and both thighs and tail are grizzled. It has a distinct white lateral stripe. Subspecies humei has red on venter that spreads over entire forelimb and shoulder to black on dorsum, interrupting the white lateral stripe, which extends from shoulder onto thigh and down to heel. Subspecies melanops has black cheeks; a black dorsum; and a bright brownish red venter, extending as more rufous-orange onto forelimb, shoulder and onto black back; buffy white lateral stripe extends from shoulder onto thigh and down to heel. Subspecies palustris resembles borneoensis, butit lacks reddish tinge on shoulders. Subspecies piceus is black on dorsum and red on venter, with no lateralstripe. Subspecies pluto is all black on dorsum, without a lateral white stripe. It is similar to but geographically disjunct from caedis and rufonigra. Subspecies rafflesii is black dorsally and chestnut ventrally and on forelimb and shoulder; it has a white lateral stripe extending from shoulder and broadening posteriorly to thigh; cheeks are grizzled gray, with a white spot on sides of nose. Subspecies rufonigra is all black on dorsum, without a lateral white stripe. It is similar to, but geographically disjunct from, caedis and pluto. Subspecies sanggaus resembles borneoensis, but with paler shoulders and a completely black tail. Subspecies sarawakensis is grizzled gray over entire dorsum, usually with a reddish tinge anteriorly. Subspecies waringensis resembles sanggaus, but with paler thighs and less reddish shoulders. Subspecies wrayi is frequently considered to be the same as humei, because it differs only in having a less intense shoulder coloration.
Habitat. Tall and secondary forests. On island of Borneo, Prevost’s Squirrel is widespread in lowlands and hills, with highest elevation records being ¢.1200 m. It will enter gardens and plantations to feed on fruit.
Food and Feeding. Diet of Prevost’s Squirrel includes seeds (c.60%), fruit pulp (20%, with figs making up 10% ofthis), bark and sap (10%), leaves and sprouts (5%), and flowers (c.2%). It especially favorsfruits with a sweet or oily flesh, and it will extract insects (including termites and beetle larvae) from dead wood. It frequently removes seeds and fruits from a fruiting tree and carries them elsewhere. Reasons for this behavior are not clear, and may have several causes. Occasionally, Prevost’s Squirrel cache fruits away from the source tree. It also transports fruits to feed juveniles, and probably carries fruit to more protected areas for feeding. Unlike some other species of Callosciurus, Prevost’s Squirrel usually drops seeds after feeding on fruits.
Breeding. Female Prevost’s Squirrels generally have one or two young per litter but may have more. Gestation lasts 42-48 days. Pregnant females are found most often in spring and summer.
Activity patterns. Prevost’s Squirrels are most active in early morning and late afternoon. They are usually arboreal, but descend to ground to cross gaps between trees.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. At Krau Wildlife Reserve (Pahang, Malaysia), population density of Prevost’s Squirrel was 38 ind/100 ha. At Krau Wildlife Reserve, they spend most of their time in the middle and upper parts of canopy, at heights usually ranging from 6 m to more than 37 m above forest floor.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Prevost’s Squirrel is common and widely distributed, occurs in a number of protected areas, and is tolerant to some degree of habitat modification. In parts of Sarawak it is heavily hunted for pets.
Bibliography. Becker et al. (1985), Duckworth & Hedges (2008e), Hayssen et al. (1993), Heaney (1978), Payne (1980), 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.
