Sundasciurus low (Thomas, 1892)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6818686 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FFDE-ED23-FFF7-FEFBFE6BFD65 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Sundasciurus low |
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Low’s Squirrel
French: Ecureuil de Low / German: Low-Hérnchen / Spanish: Ardilla de Low
Taxonomy. Sciurus lowii Thomas, 1892,
“Lumbidan, on the mainland opposite
Labuan,”
(Sarawak, Malaysia).
Seven subspecies are recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
S. l. lowThomas, 1892 — Borneo.
S.l.balaeMiller,1903—BatuIs(offWSumatra).ee1910—BanggiI0orneo).
S.l.humalisMiller,1913—Sumatra.
S.l.natunensisThomas,1895—NatunaIs(offWBorneo).
S.l.robinsoniBonhote,1903—MalayPeninsula.
S. l. seimundi Thomas & Wroughton, 1909 — Kundur I, in Riau Archipelago (off E Sumatra).
Descriptive notes. Head-body mean 144 mm (males) and 137 mm (females), tail mean 93 mm (males) and 89 mm (females); weight mean 78-7 g (males) and 76-4 g (females). Dorsum of Low’s Squirrel is speckled brown,tail is short and bushy, and an inconspicuous reddish buff ring encircles each eye. Low’s Squirrel is similar to the Slender Squirrel (S. tenuis), but has creamy white venter and shorter tail, with a reddish tinge in some individuals. Subspecies balae has nearly white venter. Subspecies bangueyae has dark greenish olivaceous pelage, with buffy light bands on hairs, instead of ocherous light bands found in other subspecies. Subspecies humilis is similar to seimundi, but with darker fur. Subspecies natunensis is a smaller subspecies and has shorter feet and longer ears. Dorsum is grizzled rufous and venter is white, strongly washed with rufous. This subspecies lacks a black patch behind ear and has a rufous, not yellow, antorbital spot. However, O. Thomas cautioned that the study skin of the type was prepared from a specimen preserved in alcohol, and it might have reddened skin. Subspecies robinsoniis very similar to the nominate lowii but is smaller. Subspecies seimundi is similar to robinsoni, but dark dorsal color expands downward on flanks, narrowing the white ventral area.
Habitat. Mostly in lowland tall and secondary dipterocarp forests. On Borneo, Low's Squirrel is mainly found in lowland forests below elevations of ¢.900 m, although it is recorded up to ¢.1400 m in the Kelabit Highlands, Sarawak, Malaysia. On the Malay Peninsula,it occurs in lowlands and foothills at elevations up to ¢.924 m. At high elevations, it is widespread, but not common.
Food and Feeding. L.ow’s Squirrel forages in small standing trees,fallen trees, and on the ground, consuming mostly bark, but also fruits, insects, and fungi.
Breeding. Female Low’s Squirrels usually give birth to two or three young, and mean litter size is 2:3 (n = 4). Three pregnant females were captured between end of April and August. Nests of Low's Squirrel are similar to nests of Large Treeshrews (Tupaia tana), but it also can nest in hollows oftrees or in the ground. Five nests were described in Borneo, two of them were built in cavities (2 m above the ground in a sapling and 0-5 m above the ground in a stump) and filled inside with leaves and plantfibers. Two other nests were globular structures with diameters of 10-15 cm, made of leaves and plant fibers in branches of palms, at 2 m and 3-5 m above the ground. The fifth nest was subterranean, with an entrance hole of 6 cm in diameter.
Activity patterns. Low’s Squirrel is diurnal, with activity peaks in early morning and late afternoon. It uses all strata offorest, although it is not commonly found in high trees.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. In Pasoh Forest Reserve, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, the population density of Low’s Squirrel was estimated to be 0-19 ind/ha in primary forest, 0-04 ind/ha in regenerating forest, and 0-10 ind/ha in riparian forest.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Low's Squirrel is widespread and common in degraded and secondary habitats. There are no major threats to the population.
Bibliography. Duckworth, Meijaard & Han (2008), Hayssen et al. (1993), Medway (1977), Okuda et al. (2013), 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.
