Sciurus igniventris, Wagner, 1843
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6818792 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FFE3-ED1E-FF67-FA0FF8F3F6AF |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Sciurus igniventris |
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Northern Amazon Red Squirrel
Sciurus igniventris View in CoL
French: Ecureuil de Wagner / German: Nordamazonas-Rothérnchen / Spanish: Ardilla del Amazonas septentrional
Taxonomy. Sciurus igniventris Wagner, 1843 View in CoL ,
“Brazil, Amazonas, north of the Rio Negro,
Marabitanos.”
Two subspecies are recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
S.i.igniventrisWagner,1843—EColombia,SVenezuela,WBrazil,EPeru,andlikelyextremeSWGuyana.
S. i. cocalis Thomas, 1900 — E Ecuador, and N Peru E of the Andes.
Descriptive notes. Head—body 240-295 mm,
tail 240-295 mm; weight 500-900 g. The Northern Amazon Red Squirrel has dark chestnutred to rust orange-yellow dorsum, often grizzled with black especially on head. Ears are thinly haired and extend above crown; postauricular patches are absent or poorly defined and straw yellow. Feet are bright red or orange without black. Venteris pale orange, red, or white, sometimes delineated from dorsum by black lateral line. Tail is substantial and bushy, with black at base and orange or rust at tip. Melanism occurs occasionally. Subspecies differ primarily in color of venter. Nominate igniventris has ferruginous venter, whereas cocalis has pale ocherous buff venter and dark blackish median band from head to tail.
Habitat. Terra firma and seasonally flooded lowland forests. The Northern Amazon Red Squirrel is commonly observed in mature and disturbed rainforests, often foraging on the ground in vicinities of palm trees. Open areas, even small forest clearings, are not often used.
Food and Feeding. The Northern Amazon Red Squirrel forages on the ground and in the canopy. It is a specialist on large tree seeds with extremely thick hard endocarps, including a variety of palms (Arecaceae). These squirrels feed on the seeds, nuts, and fruits of palms and other large-seeded trees; they will glean insects. The Northern Amazon Red Squirrel is often the major seed predator ofa tree. Seeds are collected as soon as they ripen. Loud gnawing to reach the endosperm through its thick covering is an excellent indicator of presence of Northern Amazon Red Squirrels.
Breeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but a nest of a melanistic female that was either a Northern Amazon Red Squirrel or a Southern Amazon Red Squirrel (S. spadiceus) contained two young.
Activity patterns. Northern Amazon Red Squirrels are diurnal and active throughout the year.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Northern Amazon Red Squirrel constructs round dreys of green leaves and twigs. Individualslive and forage alone, only occasionally interacting with others at concentrated food sources. Foraging occurs in all canopy levels, with significant time spent on the ground. Northern Amazon Red Squirrels are easily flushed and escape through undergrowth along ground. They rarely vocalize, but when threatened, they utter an alarm call of low frequency, with shortseries of chatters and chucks.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. Population trend of the Northern Amazon Red Squirrel is unknown. Lack of information on ecology, natural history, or threats likely impedes conservation and management efforts;it
might be vulnerable to deforestation. Indigenous people hunt this large-bodied squirrel for bushmeat, which can be considered high quality in some regions.
Bibliography. Emmons (1984, 1990), Mena-Valenzuela (1998), Patton (1984), Silvius (2002), Thorington et al. (2012), Youlatos (1999), Zapata (2001).
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.
