Borneo black-banded squirrel

Borneo Black-banded Squirrel
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Callosciurus
Species: C. orestes
Binomial name
Callosciurus orestes
(Thomas, 1895)

The Borneo Black-banded Squirrel (Callosciurus orestes) is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is endemic to northern Borneo http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/3601/0/rangemap .

Contents

Distribution

This species is found in northern Borneo at middle elevations (Payne et al. 1985). It was known from G. Dulit (above 1000m) and reported from similar altitude on Usun Apau, the Kelabit Uplands and the upper S. Terusan, all montane localities in northern Sarawak. It was also known from G. Kinabalu (1000-1700 m) and G. Trus Madi (about 1500 m) in Sabah. It appears to be restricted to lower montane forest and to upper dipterocarp forest.

Behaviour and Ecology

The upper part is finely speckled brown. A pale buffy spot behind each ears. The underside is grey, sometimes with a reddish tinge. It also has a black and buffy-white side stripe. Callosciurus orestes is diurnal. They are active in small to medium-sized trees. Recently, fruit and black ants were found out in the two species of G. Kinabalu.

Conservation status

Based on The UICN Red List Threatened Species, Callosciurus orestes is of Least Concern. It is listed as Least Concern as it is a middle montane species with a wide range. Some forest loss is occurring but not enough to list as Near Threatened.

References

  1. ^ Duckworth, J. W., Lee, B. & Tizard, R. J. (2008). Callosciurus orestes. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 6 January 2009.