The Central American dwarf squirrel, also known as Alfaro's pygmy squirrel, (''Microsciurus alfari'') is a small

tree squirrel Tree squirrels are the members of the squirrel Family (biology), 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 ...

in the genus ''

Microsciurus ''Microsciurus'' or dwarf squirrels is a genus of squirrels from the tropical regions of Central and South America. Taxonomy and systematics Recent DNA analysis has shown that there is some confusion regarding the traditional classification of t ...

'' and

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide use of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. The definition is contested, in part due to conflict ...

Sciurini Sciurini () is a tribe that includes about forty species of squirrels,Thorington and Hoffmann, 2005, p. 754 mostly from the Americas. It includes five living genera—the American dwarf squirrels, '' Microsciurus''; the Bornean '' Rheithrosc ...

found in

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

, and

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

. No species of squirrel within this genus are listed as endangered, however they are rarely seen because they are extremely elusive. This suggests that their population numbers may be larger than documented.Allen, J. (1895). Descriptions of New American Mammals. ''Bulletin - American Museum of Natural History'', ''7'', 333. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/26894480#page/363/mode/1up

Description

Central American dwarf squirrels are not as small as their name suggests. In fact, their body measurements are close to that of the

Red Squirrel The red squirrel (''Sciurus vulgaris''), also called Eurasian red squirrel, is a species of tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus''. It is an arboreal and primarily herbivorous rodent and common throughout Eurasia. Taxonomy There have been ...

and Gray Squirrel, with a head-and-body length about 15 cm (5.9 in) with a 12 cm (4.7 in) long tail. The majority of their body is a dark, olive-green and brown color with a reddish-brown head coloration. The underside of their heads and limbs can range from a yellowish grey to a tawny grey color.

Distribution and habitat

Central American dwarf squirrels are native to

, and

. They typically inhabit

tropical rainforest Tropical rainforests are dense and warm rainforests with high rainfall typically found between 10° north and south of the Equator. They are a subset of the tropical forest biome that occurs roughly within the 28° latitudes (in the torrid zo ...

s, with a preference for the heavy forest, particularly those with vines in the undergrowth, which can allow them to descend to the ground and quickly escape from

predators Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill ...

. Loveridge, A. (1935). Canal Zone Pygmy Squirrels. ''Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology'', ''78'', 450. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2794455#page/458/mode/1up

Ecology

Central American dwarf squirrels are typically very shy and solitary in nature. While they are diurnal some squirrels have been observed at night by hunters, suggesting a degree of nocturnal activity. Their small size, dull coloration, and quickness tend to make them hard to locate and catch or even observe. The diet of these squirrels is most likely similar that to the common herbivore, consisting of seeds, grains and nuts, including nuts of the ivory-nut palm tree which they inhabit.

Subspecies

The table below lists the six recognized subspecies of ''Microsciurus alfari'', along with any synonyms associated with each subspecies:

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1763765 Microsciurus Mammals of Colombia Rodents of Central America Mammals described in 1895 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Joel Asaph Allen