Paraxerus poensis (A. Smith, 1830)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6819089 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FFB0-ED4D-FF60-F393F70CF1A3 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Paraxerus poensis |
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Green Bush Squirrel
French: Ecureuil de Fernando Po / German: Griines Buschhornchen / Spanish: Ardilla de matorral verde
Taxonomy. Sciurus poensis A. Smith, 1834 , “Bioko, Equatorial Guinea.”
This species is monotypic.
Distribution. Discontinuous distribution in three disjunct areas, from Sierra Leone to E Ghana (W of the Volta Basin), from SE Nigeria (E of the Niger River) to E Republic
of the Congo and S to NW Angola (Cabinda), and in N DR Congo (Bata, Medje, and Niapu), also in Bioko I.
Descriptive notes. Head-body mean 155 mm (males) and 154-2 mm (females), tail mean 166-1 mm (males) and 159-1 mm (females); weight 125-144-5 g. The Green Bush Squirrel has olive-green dorsal coat and yellow under parts. Body hair is luxurious. Eye rings are yellow. Tail is long, thin, and dark olive. It has short limbs, small broad feet, and thick curved claws.
Habitat. [Lowland tropical moist forests, brush, and secondary forests around villages and agricultural areas. In Sierra Leone, the Green Bush Squirrel has been recorded at elevations as high as 1600 m. It is considered a pest in cocoa plantations.
Food and Feeding. The Green Bush Squirrel forages in tree branches for fruits, seeds, and arthropods; it eats flying insects and bird eggs in captivity.
Breeding. The Green Bush Squirrel might be monogamous. It uses open leaf nests or tree hollows lined with leaves or fibers. Females give birth to 1-2 young/litter. Males and females reside together in the nest while raising their litter, and both appear to care for young.
Activity patterns. There is no specific information available for this species, but the Green Bush Squirrel is diurnal and arboreal.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Green Bush Squirrels live alone or in pairs. They have a single alarm call that is accompanied by complex visual display. While emitting a single buzz, an individual freezes motionless while holding its tail stiffly behind its body with tip curved upward. Between repeats of the sound,it quickly jerks its tail upward to nearly a vertical position. While moving its tail, an individual hops or stamps its feet. A buzz with subsequent movements are then repeated 100 or more times.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Green Bush Squirrel is widespread and presumably has large populations. It occurs in protected areas and is tolerant of some habitat modification. Overall, there are no major threats, and it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.
Bibliography. Amtmann (1966), Ellerman (1940), Emmons (1975, 1978, 1979, 1980), Hollister (1919), Moore (1959b), Rosevear (1969), Thomas (1916¢), Thorington et al. (2012).
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.
