| Fire-footed rope squirrel | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Genus: | Funisciurus |
| Species: | F. pyrropus |
| Binomial name | |
| Funisciurus pyrropus (F. Cuvier, 1833) | |
| Subspecies [2] | |
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| Geographic range | |
The fire-footed rope squirrel (Funisciurus pyrropus) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae.
It is a relatively small rodent with an adult averaging at a height of 8.1 inches or 204.81 mm. Adults weigh between 225 and 240 grams.
It is found in West and Central Africa from Senegal to Uganda and south to Angola. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, moist savanna, and plantations.
They are primarily herbivores. Their main diet consists of fruit and seeds. When food is scarce, they resort to eating small termites and ants.
Several male squirrels chase a single female squirrel in a ritualistic chase. They bear litters of one to two pups. [3]
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, and flying squirrels. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, and were introduced by humans to Australia. The earliest known fossilized squirrels date from the Eocene epoch, and among other living rodent families, the squirrels are most closely related to the mountain beaver and to the dormice.
African striped squirrels, or rope squirrels, form a taxon of squirrels under the subfamily Xerinae and the tribe Protoxerini. They are only found in western and central Africa.
The mountain ground squirrel is a rodent that is native to southwestern Angola, western Namibia, and western South Africa. It is also known as the Kaoko ground squirrel or the Damara ground squirrel.
Epixerus ebii, also known as Ebian's palm squirrel, Temminck's giant squirrel, or the western palm squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is the only species in the genus Epixerus, although eastern populations were previously regarded as a separate species, E. wilsoni. It is found in West and Central Africa. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Layard's palm squirrel or flame-striped jungle squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae endemic to Sri Lanka. The validity of the subspecies F. l. dravidianus based on a single specimen from the southern tip of India has been questioned, and is probably a juvenile F. sublineatus. Known as මූකලන් ලේනා in Sinhala.
The Lunda rope squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitat is moist savanna.
The Carruther's mountain squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.
The Congo rope squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo south of the Congo River, western Angola, and northern Namibia. It is mainly associated with dense woodland, but in Namibia also with vegetation on granite outcrops. It is diurnal and arboreal, but also forages on the ground.
The Lady Burton's rope squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon. Its natural habitats are tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest. It is a common species with a wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it as being of "least concern".
The ribboned rope squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
The red-cheeked rope squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical moist montane forest.
The Kintampo rope squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Niger, and Togo. Its natural habitat is moist savanna.
The mutable sun squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, moist savanna, and subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland.
The small sun squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and possibly Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.
The red-legged sun squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae, also commonly known as the isabelline red-legged sun squirrel. It is native to tropical western and central Africa where its range extends from Senegal in the west, through Nigeria and the Republic of Congo to Uganda and Tanzania in the east. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and moist savanna. This species is thought to be common and has a very wide distribution, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Boehm's bush squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae found in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and moist savanna.
The striped bush squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. Its natural habitats are moist savanna and plantations.
The red bush squirrel or red-bellied coast squirrel 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.
Vincent's bush squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae, named in honour of Jack Vincent. It is endemic to Mozambique. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and it is threatened by habitat loss.
Du Chaillu's rope squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is endemic to parts of central Gabon, within dense tropical rainforests, where it was listed as extinct in 1952, but was then rediscovered in 1993. The species is currently has a "Data Deficient" conservation status brought about by the IUCN Red List. It was named after French zoologist, traveler, and anthropologist Paul Du Chaillu.
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