Bangs's Mountain Squirrel
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| Syntheosciurus brochus Bangs, 1902 |
Bangs's Mountain Squirrel is a nearly unknown species of tree squirrel, that only lives in Costa Rica and Panama. It can be found in mountain rain forests at an altitude between 1900 and 2600 meters, and lives mainly in the tree tops, but sometimes on the forest floor as well. One of its habitats is at the summit of the Poás Volcano in Costa Rica, in a Clusia forest that is almost unaccessible for humans.
The squirrel's head and body measure 15 centimeters, with a 13 cm tail. It has an olive brown back and an orange-red belly. Because of the shape of its skull and teeth, the species has been separated from the genus of typical tree squirrels, Sciurus, into its own (monotypical) genus Syntheosciurus.
Until the 1980s, only four animals of this species were known. Since then, the species has been studied more in depth, especially by the zoologists Wells and Giacalone. It has been discovered that these mountain squirrels are sociable creatures. A couple of squirrels live in a tree nest together with their young at a height of 6 to 12 meters.
[edit] References
- Baillie (1996). Syntheosciurus brochus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
- Robert K. Enders: Observations on Syntheosciurus: taxonomy and behavior. Journal of Mammology 1980, Bd. 61, S. 725-727
- J. Giacalone, N.M. Wells, G. Willis: Observations on Syntheosciurus brochus (Sciuridae) in Volcán Poás National Park. Journal of Mammology 1987, Bd. 68, S. 145-147
