Northern Amazon red squirrel | |
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Sumaco Napo-Galeras National Park, Ecuador | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Sciuridae |
Genus: | Sciurus |
Species: | S. igniventris |
Binomial name | |
Sciurus igniventris Wagner, 1842 | |
Subspecies [2] | |
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The northern Amazon red squirrel (Sciurus igniventris) is a species of squirrel from South America. It occurs in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. It is widespread across its distribution and inhabits lowland forests, preferring a diet of nuts with especially thick shells. It is considered a least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, though it is hunted for food in Ecuador and Peru and may be subject to habitat fragmentation from human logging activities. [1]
The firey squirrel (Scurius flammifer) is thought to be a junior synonym of the Northern Amazon red squirrel, [3] [4] though further investigation has been recommended to solidify these species' synonymy. [5]