Paraxerus boehmi (Reichenow, 1886)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.6840226 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6819095 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/064D0660-FFB0-ED4E-FA6E-F37BFF37FF61 |
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treatment provided by |
Diego |
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scientific name |
Paraxerus boehmi |
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Boehm'’s Bush Squirrel
French: Ecureuil de Bohm / German: Bohm-Buschhérnchen / Spanish: Ardilla de matorral de Bohm
Taxonomy. Sciurus boehmi Reichenow, 1886 , “Marungu,” DR Congo.
Subspecies vulcanorum may be a separate species. Four subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
P.b.boehmiReichenow,1886—lowlandforestsWofAlbertineRiftValleyinSDRCongo.
Pb.emini:Stuhlman,1894—N&EDRCongo,Uganda,NWTanzania,Rwanda,Burundi,andNZambia.
P.b.gazellaeThomas,1918—EasternEquatoria,SouthSudan.
P.b. vulcanorum Thomas, 1918 — Rwenzori
Mts and mountains between Lake Tan-
ganyika and Lake Edward in the border area between DR Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi.
Descriptive notes. Head-body mean 129-8 mm (males) and 129-6 mm (females), tail mean 138-1 mm (males) and 146 mm (females); weight mean 70-5 g (males) and 74-8 g (females). Boehm’s Bush Squirrel has four black stripes on back; middle two are divided by mid-dorsal yellowish to greenish russet stripe and are separated from lateral stripes by white to yellowish stripes on reddish to yellowish background. Back of ears is dark. Eye rings are brownish gold. There is black stripe from nose through eye to ear, bordered by pale brownish gold. Tail is greenish yellow-brown, grizzled with black. Long hairs oftail tip are black with small golden brown rings. Boehm’s Bush Squirrelis similar in size and color to the Congo Rope Squirrel (Funisciurus congicus). Nominate boehmi is olive, intermixed with black on upper side. Of three light stripes along length of back, two outer ones are whitish, and mid-stripeis olive-gold-brown;all three are bordered by black stripes. Venter and insides of forelimbs and thighs are yellowish white. Throat is pale yellow, and chin is rusty yellow. On subspecies emini, space between dorsal stripes is more olive-green to white. Background color is more olivegreen. Subspecies gazellaeis paler and gray on body, with shorter dorsalstripes and with outer stripes c.2-5 cm long. Under parts are grayish. Subspecies vulcanorum has dense long pelage that is dark olive-russet; upper black stripe is wider than the lower. White stripe is between two black stripes but is narrow and not conspicuous.
Habitat. Forests dominated by Cynometra (Fabaceae) trees and lowland, swamp, and montane forests at elevations up to 2300 m.
Food and Feeding. Boechm’s Bush Squirrel feeds predominantly on insects such as ants and caterpillars; it also eats mushrooms, fruits, and resin.
Breeding. Courtship of Boehm’s Bush Squirrel involves mating chase, and breeding may occur throughout the year.
Activity patterns. Boechm’s Bush Squirrel is mainly arboreal, occasionally descending to the ground. It most often remains low down on tree trunks and branches. Nests are found in tangles of vines, built of twigs and leaves, and lined with shredded bark.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Boehm’s Bush Squirrel is widespread, presumably has large populations, and occurs in protected areas. No data are available on population trends. There are no major threats, and it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify forlisting in a more threatened category.
Bibliography. Hayssen (2008a), Kingdon (1974, 2013g), Rahm & Christiaensen (1963), 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.
