Grizzled giant squirrel

Grizzled giant squirrel
The highland subspecies of Giant Squirrel, with denser fur.
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Ratufa
Species: R. macroura
Binomial name
Ratufa macroura
(Pennant, 1769)
Subspecies[2]
  • R. m. macroura
  • R. m. dandolena
  • R. m. melanochra
Grizzled giant squirrel range
Synonyms

zeylanicus (Ray, 1693)[2]

The grizzled giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura) is a large tree squirrel in the genus Ratufa found in the highlands of the Central and Uva provinces of Sri Lanka, and in patches of riparian forest along the Kaveri River and in the hill forests in the Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of southern India.[3] The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as near threatened due to habitat loss and hunting.

There are three subspecies, all of which are found in Sri Lanka. The subspecies R. m. dandolena (taken from the Sinhalese language name for the squirrel, dhandu laena) is also found in India.

Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Srivilliputtur, Tamil Nadu, India.

R. macroura is the smallest of the giant squirrels found in the Indian subcontinent, with a head and body length of 25 to 45 centimetres (9.8 to 18 in), and tail measuring roughly the same or more), for a total length of 50 to 90 centimetres (20 to 35 in). It has small rounded ears with pointed tufts.

The table below lists the three recognized subspecies of Ratufa macroura, along with any synonyms associated with each subspecies:[2]

Ratufa macroura taxonomy
Subspecies Authority Synonyms
R. m. macroura Pennant (1769) albipes, ceilonensis, ceylonica, macrura, montana, tennentii
R. m. dandolena Thomas and Wroughton (1915) sinhala
R. m. melanochra Thomas and Wroughton (1915) none

References

  1. ^ Joshua, J., de A. Goonatilake, W. I. L. D. P. T. S. & Molur, S. (2008). Ratufa macroura. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 6 January 2009.
  2. ^ a b c Thorington, R.W., Jr.; Hoffmann, R.S. (2005). "Ratufa macroura". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M. Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference (3rd ed.). The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 754–818. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4. OCLC 26158608. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3/browse.asp?id=12400030. 
  3. ^ Srinivasulu, C.; Chakraborty, S.; Pradhan, M.S. (February 2004). "Checklist of sciurids (mammalia: rodentia: sciuridae) of south Asia" (.pdf). Zoos' print journal (Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India: Zoo Outreach Organisation) 19 (2): 1356. ISSN 0973-2535. OCLC 61770409. http://www.zoosprint.org/ZooPrintJournal/2004/February/1351-1360.pdf. Retrieved 28 March 2010. 

External links