Sciurus pyrrhinus, Thomas, 1898
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6818800 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FFE2-ED1F-FFCE-F33EF62CF160 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Sciurus pyrrhinus |
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Junin Red Squirrel
French: Ecureuil du Junin / German: Junin-Hérnchen / Spanish: Ardilla de Junin
Taxonomy. Sciurus pyrrhinus Thomas, 1898 View in CoL ,
“Peru, Junin Dept., Vitoc, Garita del Sol.”
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. E slopes of the Andes in Peru, possibly also in Ecuador and Bolivia.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 240-254 mm, tail 208-254 mm. No specific data are available for body weight. The Junin Red Squirrel has dark reddish cast to feet, dorsum, ears, and crest, usually darkest on the head and often speckled with white. Rufous dorsum is deeply grizzled with black hairs that dwindle toward sides and limbs. Sides of muzzle and under lower jaw are lighter than rest of head, and ears are edged in black. Base oftail is chestnut-brown, grizzled with black. Longer hairs on distal one-half to two-thirds oftail terminate in bright orange tips, providing orange tinge, and have three black rings, the first at the base of each hair. Tail terminates in concentrations of these brightly tipped hairs, causing tail to be orange to rufous at tip. Venter varies considerably in color, sometimes sharply delineated from rest of body; color variants include uniform rufous, uniform white, and orange with white patches on sides.
Habitat. Rain and montane forests at elevations of 600-2500 m. The Junin Red Squirrel frequently visits family farms, clay licks, and lowland rainforest with boggy permanent patches of water in “aguajales” (palm swamps).
Food and Feeding. The Junin Red Squirrel forages on the ground and in the canopy. It uses clay licks and ingests soil in terra firma forest.
Breeding. A lactating female Junin Red Squirrel was collected in February.
Activity patterns. The Junin Red Squirrel is diurnal and active throughout the year.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Junin Red Squirrel moves on the ground and in the canopy. Observations of intraspecific tolerance while foraging and playing in small groups (2-3 individuals) suggest non-territorial behavior.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Population trend of the Junin Red Squirrel is unknown, and it is considered vulnerable in Peru. Lack of information on ecology, natural history, or threats likely impedes conservation and management efforts; it might be vulnerable to thinning and deforestation because it is more commonly seen in areas where timber harvest has ceased..
Bibliography. Allen (1915b), Eisenberg & Redford (1999), Emmons (1990), Hammer & Tatum-Hume (2003), Lee & Brant (2014), Pacheco (2002), Pacheco et al. (2009), Scobie et al. (2014), 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.
