Funambulus obscurus | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Sciuridae |
Genus: | Funambulus |
Species: | F. obscurus |
Binomial name | |
Funambulus obscurus (Pelzen & Kohl, 1886) | |
The dusky striped squirrel (Funambulus obscurus) is a species of small squirrel from Sri Lanka that is largely confined to rainforests in the southwestern "wet zone" with higher rainfall than the rest of the island. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of Funambulus sublineatus from India, at which point the English name of the "combined species" also was dusky striped squirrel. It is known as පුංචි ලේනා (punchi lena) or "batu lena" in the Sinhala language.
The species was split off from Fanumbulus sublineatus, a similar Indian species in 2012. [1] The Indian form (formerly subspecies F. s. sublineatus) is now referred to as the Nilgiri striped squirrel, whereas the Sri Lankan form (formerly F. s. obscurus) is now assigned the later designation Dusky striped squirrel. [2]
The species was reasonably separated from its Indian counterpart by Kathleen Ryley in the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society in 1913, [3] and this was reinforced by Oldfield Thomas who renamed the species Funambulus kathleenae in Ryley's honour given her choice of name of Funambulus trilineatus by Edward Frederick Kelaart was regarded as invalid. [4] However, it was lumped back with the Indian form in 1918 [5] given a resurgence in the subspecies concept. By this time, an older name "obscurus" for this taxon had been traced (Funambulus palmarum var obscura) from 1886 apparently invalidating Thomas's designation.
The dusky palm squirrel was best documented originally by W.W.A. Phillips in the Manual of the Mammals of Sri Lanka who identified it as the smallest Sri Lankan squirrel species. [6] It is much larger than the Indian species (F. sublineatus) being 60-70g [6] [1] as opposed to around 42g in the Nilgiri striped squirrel, with longer, thicker stripes. Its head and body length is 11–13 cm, with a 10-cm tail. Its upperparts are dark or olive brown to black in colour with three paler dorsal stripes against the dorsal, saddle colouration; its underparts are yellowish with an olivaceous tinge. The tail is bushy, short with a black tip. Fur is soft, dense and short. Parts without fur are grayish. The characteristic features that distinguish this squirrel from other related Funambulus squirrels on the island is smaller size, darker coat, indistinct stripes, and its higher pitched, trilling bird-like voice. It would most easily be confused with Layard's squirrel. [7]
Only found in Sri Lanka, this squirrel can be seen in wet zone low elevations to highlands with dense forest cover up to ~2400m or 8000 ft, being a squirrel that naturally occurs at the highest elevations where frost can occur compared to other Sri Lankan squirrels. Sinharaja rain forest, Horton Plains, and districts like Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura and parts of Kandy are home to this squirrel.
A diurnal forest dweller, this species is sometimes found close to human dwellings or tea plantations at the edge of forests. Plants like Bamboo, Strobilanthes and Cardamom (Elettaria) are associated with them in forest or forest edge contexts. They are known to live in bamboo and though often observed close to the ground, will also forage on the tree tops, often associating in bird waves (mixed bird species feeding flocks). This is a highly alert and timid species, and just a snap of sound will cause them to hide within dense cover, sometimes making audible alarm calls. But they can become tame and can be observed in the field if the observer is silent.
This squirrel is omnivorous feeding on small insects, grubs, shoots, seeds and fruits. They are fond of rice and fruit at food dumps in Buddhist monasteries and similar places close to suitable forest. The diet has not been studied adequately and it has been thought (largely based on Phillips) that this species tends to rely more on invertebrates based on its habits of often coming to the ground and examining logs in comparison to its congeners in Sri Lanka that are more naturally arboreal, Layard's squirrel and the Indian palm squirrel (although the latter does descend to the ground as an opportunistic garden species, in captivity, it is typically fed and seems to thrive on a vegetarian diet of starch, nuts and fruit).
They have a bird-like voice, which can mistakenly thought to be a bird while only listening to the sound. The voice is a high pitched trill of rapid barks. There are alarm calls and mating calls like other squirrels, however, the general calls sound similar though it may be more explosive when venting alarm or a long drawn sustained barking from a favoured tree when making territorial calls for several minutes. When a predator is seen, it perches out of harm's way, sitting on its haunches at a safe distance. It alarm calls with a flick of its tail accompanying each call, just as the well known Funambulus palmarum does. [7]
The Malabar trogon is a species of bird in the trogon family. It is found in the forests of Sri Lanka and peninsular India. In India it is mainly found in the Western Ghats, hill forests of central India and in parts of the Eastern Ghats. They are insectivorous and although not migratory, may move seasonally in response to rain in hill forest regions. Like in other trogons, males and females vary in plumage. The birds utter low guttural calls that can be heard only at close quarters and the birds perch still on a branch under the forest canopy, often facing away from the viewer making them easy to miss despite their colourful plumage.
The black eagle is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae, and is the only member of the genus Ictinaetus. They soar over forests in the hilly regions of tropical and subtropical South and Southeast Asia, as well as southeastern China. They hunt mammals and birds, particularly at their nests. They are easily identified by their widely splayed and long primary "fingers", the characteristic silhouette, slow flight and yellow ceres and legs that contrast with their dark feathers.
The Indian scimitar babbler is an Old World babbler. It is found in peninsular India in a range of forest habitats. They are most often detected by their distinctive calls which include an antiphonal duet by a pair of birds. They are often hard to see as they forage through dense vegetation. The long curved yellow, scimitar-shaped bills give them their name. It has been treated in the past as subspecies of the white-browed scimitar babbler which is found along the Himalayas but now separated into two species, the peninsular Indian species and the Sri Lanka scimitar babbler.
The South Western Ghats montane rain forests is an ecoregion in South India, covering the southern portion of the Western Ghats in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu at elevations from 1,000 to 2,695 m. Annual rainfall in this ecoregion exceeds 2,800 mm (110 in).
The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is an ecoregion in the Western Ghats of southern India with tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. This biome covers the Nilgiri Hills between elevation of 250 and 1,000 m in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states.
The grizzled giant squirrel 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 of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of southern India. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as near threatened due to habitat loss and hunting.
Mudumalai National Park is a national park in the Nilgiri Mountains in Tamil Nadu, south India. It covers 321 km2 (124 sq mi) at an elevation range of 850–1,250 m (2,790–4,100 ft) in the Nilgiri District and shares boundaries with the states of Karnataka and Kerala. A part of this area has been protected since 1940. The national park has been part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve since 1986 and was declared a tiger reserve together with a buffer zone of 367.59 km2 (141.93 sq mi) in 2007. It receives an annual rainfall of about 1,420 mm (56 in) and harbours tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests with 498 plant species, at least 266 bird species, 18 carnivore and 10 herbivore species. It is drained by the Moyar River and several tributaries, which harbour 38 fish species.
The Indian giant squirrel or Malabar giant squirrel is a large multi-coloured tree squirrel species endemic to forests and woodlands in India. It is a diurnal, arboreal, and mainly herbivorous squirrel.
The ruddy mongoose is a mongoose species native to hill forests in India and Sri Lanka.
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.
Funambulus is a genus of rodents in the Sciuridae (squirrel) family, the only one in tribe Funambulini. It contains these species:
The Indian palm squirrel or three-striped palm squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae found naturally in India and Sri Lanka. In the late 19th century, the palm squirrel was introduced to Madagascar, Réunion, Mayotte, Comoro Islands, Mauritius, and Seychelles. The closely related five-striped palm squirrel, F. pennantii, is found in northern India, and its range partly overlaps with this species.
The northern palm squirrel also called the five-striped palm squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. Some authorities recognize two subspecies, F. p. pennantii and F. p. argentescens. It is a semi-arboreal species found in tropical and subtropical dry deciduous forests and many other rural and urban habitats. It is a common species with a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The Nilgiri striped squirrel is a threatened species of rodent, a small squirrel (Sciuridae) from rainforests in the southern Western Ghats, including the Nilgiris, in Peninsular India. It formerly included Funambulus obscurus from Sri Lanka as a subspecies, at which point the English name of the "combined species" also was dusky striped squirrel.
The jungle palm squirrel, jungle striped squirrel, or Western Ghats squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae endemic to India. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, but it is tolerant to habitat changes and is also common in tea plantations in the Western Ghats. It is confined to forests with tall trees along the west coast of the Indian Peninsula. This confinement has led the jungle palm squirrel to be considered a pest on cacao, mangos, grapes, and sapota, plants that commonly grow in the type of forest. The ratio between males and females is not split evenly; males have been reported to have a larger population share. Potential factors for the uneven sex ratio include differences in "rate of persistence, mortality, dispersal, and predation pressure".
Hodgson's giant flying squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. This large flying squirrel lives in Himalayan forests in Asia. Like other flying squirrels, it is nocturnal and able to glide long distances between trees by spreading out its patagium, skin between its limbs.
The Indian giant flying squirrel, also called the large brown flying squirrel or the common giant flying squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is capable of gliding flight using a skin membrane stretched between front and hind legs. It is found in mainland Southeast and South Asia, and southern and central China.
Dusky palm squirrel is a common name applied to two rodents that were formerly considered to be a single species.