Nilgiri striped squirrel
Nilgiri striped squirrel | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Sciuridae |
Genus: | Funambulus |
Species: | F. sublineatus
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Binomial name | |
Funambulus sublineatus (Waterhouse, 1838)
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Subspecies[2] | |
See text | |
Synonyms | |
Sciurus delesserti Gervais, 1841 |
The Nilgiri striped squirrel (Funambulus sublineatus) is a
Taxonomy
Funambulus sublineatus was scientifically described in 1838.[3] Later it was merged with the Sri Lankan obscurus, then regarded as a subspecies of Funambulus sublineatus. In 2012, a review found that the two were highly distinct and recommended that they should be recognized as separate species.[4]
Distribution
The former range of the species, before the taxonomic split, was in both India and Sri Lanka, though the Nilgiri palm squirrel (F. sublineatus) is now restricted in distribution to the Western Ghats of India.[5] Very little is known of this squirrel, probably the smallest in the genus weighing about 40g. Its new status as an endemic mammal to India means records need updating.
The species is confined to wet humid forests either in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri hills (and surrounding areas such as around Kodaikanal in India)
References
- . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
- OCLC 26158608.
- ^ Grigg, H.B. (1880). A Manual of the Nilagiri District in the Madras Presidency. Madras: Government Press.
- ^ Rajith Dissanayake. 2012. The Nilgiri striped squirrel (Funambulus sublineatus), and the dusky striped squirrel (Funambulus obscurus), two additions to the endemic mammal fauna of India and Sri Lanka. Archived 2016-03-13 at the Wayback Machine Small Mammal Mail. Vol 3(2):6-7
- S2CID 85140298.