The Amazon dwarf squirrel (''Microsciurus flaviventer'') is a

chipmunk Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of the family Sciuridae. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Chipmunks may be classified either as ...

-sized

tree squirrel Tree squirrels are the members of the squirrel family (Sciuridae) commonly just referred to as "squirrels." They include more than 100 arboreal species native to all continents except Antarctica and Oceania. They do not form a single natural, o ...

native to

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...

Description

As its name suggests, the Amazon dwarf squirrel is relatively small, with a head-body length of and a tail long. Adults weigh between , with males being slightly larger than females. The fur varies from reddish to dull brown, fading gradually to yellow or greyish on the underparts. There is a distinctive patch of pale yellow fur behind the ears, while the tail has faint yellowish bands and white frosting. The limbs are unusually long for tree squirrels. In the forelimbs, the

humerus The humerus (; ) is a long bone in the arm that runs from the shoulder to the elbow. It connects the scapula and the two bones of the lower arm, the radius and ulna, and consists of three sections. The humeral upper extremity consists of a roun ...

and

radius In classical geometry, a radius ( : radii) of a circle or sphere is any of the line segments from its center to its perimeter, and in more modern usage, it is also their length. The name comes from the latin ''radius'', meaning ray but also the ...

are of equal length, an adaptation thought to increase the squirrel's ability to climb large trees, compensating for a lack of shoulder mobility. The longer hindlimbs allow for stronger muscles, so that the squirrel can leap over larger gaps, relative to its size, than more typically sized squirrels can.

Distribution and habitat

The squirrels are found in the upper Amazon Basin, broadly west of the Purus and Rio Negro rivers, in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechuan languages, Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar language, Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechuan ...

, and Colombia. They typically inhabit evergreen

tropical rainforest Tropical rainforests are rainforests that occur in areas of tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season – all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm – and may also be referred to as ''lowland equatori ...

s at up to elevation, although they may sometimes be found in more disturbed habitats.

Subspecies

Eight subspecies of Amazon dwarf squirrel are currently recognised:

Biology and behaviour

The squirrels use all levels of the forest, from the ground to the tree canopy, but are most commonly found in the

understory In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English The use of the English language in current and former member countries of the Commonwealth of Nations was largely inherited from British co ...

. They feed on arthropods, tree bark, and fungi, and have been observed to closely follow flocks of birds while foraging, although the reason for this is unclear. They are diurnal and highly

arboreal Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. The habitats pose num ...

, even for tree squirrels, frequently jumping from branch to branch. They spend the night in nests formed from plant fibres, and located several metres above the ground. They are mostly

solitary Solitary is the state of being alone or in solitude. The term may refer to: * shortened form of solitary confinement * Solitary animal, an animal that does not live with others in its species * Solitary but social, a type of social organizatio ...

, but may be found with others feeding on the same tree. Their calls include a bird-like "trill" and a series of soft "chucks" used as an alarm call. Very little is known of their reproduction, although litters are thought to be small.

References

Bibliography

* Tirira, Diego. 2006. Mamíferos del Ecuador, Diversidad: Microsciurus flaviventer (Gray, 1867). Page on internet (Enero 2006). Version 1.1. Ediciones Murciélago Blanco. Quito
Mamiferos del Equador
Checked on: fecha de visita (2009-03-17)

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1769291 Microsciurus Rodents of South America Mammals of Brazil Mammals of Colombia Fauna of the Amazon Mammals described in 1867 Taxa named by John Edward Gray