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Red bush squirrel

{{Short description|Species of rodent}}

{{Speciesbox

| name = Red bush squirrel

| image = Hörnchen 2.jpg

| image_caption = Nominate race in Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn|author=Grubb, P.|year=2008|url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/details/16210/0|title=Paraxerus palliatus|access-date=6 January 2009}}

| genus = Paraxerus

| species = palliatus

| authority = (Peters, 1852)

| subdivision_ranks = Subspecies

| subdivision_ref = {{cite book |last1=Thorington |first1=R.W. Jr. |last2=Hoffmann |first2=R.S. |year=2005 |pages=754–818 |editor1-last=Wilson |editor1-first=D.E. |editor2-last=Reeder |editor2-first=D.M. |url=http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3|chapter=Family Sciuridae |chapter-url=https://www.departments.bucknell.edu/biology/resources/msw3/browse.asp?id=12400001 |title=Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference |edition=3rd |publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn=0-8018-8221-4 |oclc=26158608}}

| subdivision =

  • P. p. palliatus
  • P. p. bridgemani
  • P. p. frerei
  • P. p. ornatus
  • P. p. sponsus
  • P. p. swynnertoni
  • P. p. tanae

| synonyms =

}}

The red bush squirrel or red-bellied coast squirrel (Paraxerus palliatus) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae, which is found in bush and forest along the eastern seaboard of Africa. It is closely related to P. lucifer, P. vexillarius and P. (p.) vincenti.

Range and habitat

It is native to Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.

Races

file:SciurusOrnatusWolf.jpg

The southernmost subspecies, P. p. ornatus, is endemic to oNgoye Forest in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.{{cite book |last1=Mills |first1=Gus |last2=Hes |first2=Lex |title=The complete book of southern African mammals |date=1997 |publisher=Struik Publishers |location=Cape Town |isbn=978-0-947430-55-9 |page=131 |edition=1.}} P. p. swynnertoni is endemic to Chirinda Forest in eastern Zimbabwe,{{cite web |last1=Timberlake |first1=Jonathan |title=The Biodiversity and Ecology of Chirinda Forest | date=6 November 2002 |url=http://www.biodiversityfoundation.org/documents/s17.pdf |website=BFA SEMINAR SERIES NO. 17 |publisher=Bulawayo Club |access-date=27 November 2014}} and P. (p.) vincenti at Mount Namuli is sometimes deemed a full species.{{cite book |last1=Kingdon |first1=J. |title=Mammals of Africa |date=2013 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |location=London |isbn=978-1-4081-8996-2 |page=88| display-authors=etal}} The species is smaller (and weighs less) with more rufous pelage in dry forest, and larger and darker in moist forest.{{cite book |last1=Kingdon |first1=Jonathan |last2=Happold |first2=David |last3=Butynski |first3=Thomas |last4=Hoffmann |first4=Michael |last5=Happold |first5=Meredith |last6=Kalina |first6=Jan |title=Mammals of Africa |date=2013 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4081-8996-2 |page=84 |volume=3}}

References

{{Reflist}}

{{S. Xerinae nav}}

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Category:Rodent genera

Category:Mammals described in 1852

Category:Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters

Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot

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