Sciurotamias forresti (Thomas, 1922)

Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Sciuridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 648-837 : 783-784

169.

Forrest's Rock Squirrel

Sciurotamias forresti

French: Tamia de Forrest / German: Forrest-Rothérnchen / Spanish: Ardilla de Forrest

Taxonomy. Rupestes forresti Thomas, 1922 ,

“Mekong-Yangtze Divide on 27° 20° N 7000- 9000’,” Yunnan Province, China.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to S China, in S Sichuan and Yunnan. It may occur further S into N Myanmar, Laos, or Vietnam, but no data exist.

Descriptive notes. Head-body mean 224 mm (females), tail mean 160 mm (females). No measurements available for males. No specific data are available for body weight. Forrest's Rock Squirrel is grayish to dark brown with lighter sides that sometimes have an ocherous wash. A pale thin stripe runs along both sides of body. Ventral surface is pale and similar in colorto sides.

Habitat. Shrubs on rocky talus slopes and cliffs at elevations of ¢.3000 m.

Food and Feeding. There is no information available for this species.

Breeding. There is no information available for this species.

Activity patterns. Forrest's Rock Squirrel is diurnal and appears active throughout the year.

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. Forrest's Rock Squirrel is widely distributed and is presumed to have a large population size but no information is available on current population trends. Lack of knowledge ofits biology may be detrimental to conservation efforts in the future.

Bibliography. Durden & Musser (1994b), Hayssen (2008a, 2008c), Smith & Johnston (2008t), Smith & Yan Xie (2008), Thorington, Miller & Anderson (1998), Wu Xianzhu et al. (2006), Xiang Zuofu et al. (2004).

Figures

148. Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurisia elegans), 149. Yunnan Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista yunanensis), 150. Taiwan Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista lena), 151. Hainan Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista hainana), 152. Japanese Giant Flying Squirrel (Petaurista leucogenys), 153. Siberian Flying Squirrel (Pteromys volans), 154. Japanese Flying Squirrel (Pteromys momonga), 155. Woolly Flying Squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus), 156. Black Flying Squirrel (Aeromys tephromelas), 157. Thomas's Flying Squirrel (Aeromys thomasi), 158. Smoky Flying Squirrel (Pteromyscus pulverulentus), 159. Hairy-footed Flying Squirrel (Belomys pearsonii), 160. Northern Chinese Flying Squirrel (Aeretes melanoplerus), 161. Complex-toothed Flying Squirrel (Trogopterus xanthipes), 162. Long-clawed Ground Squirrel (Spermophilopsis leptodactyla), 163. Barbary Ground Squirrel (Atlantoxerus getulus), 164. Striped Ground Squirrel (Euxerus erythropus), 165. Unstriped Ground Squirrel (Xerus rutilus), 166. Damara Ground Squirrel (Geosciurus princeps), 167. South African Ground Squirrel (Geosciurus inauris), 168. Pere David’s Rock Squirrel (Sciurotamias davidianus), 169. Forrest's Rock Squirrel (Sciurotamias forresti), 170. Siberian Chipmunk (Tamias sibiricus), 171. Least Chipmunk (Tamias minimus), 172. Yellow-pine Chipmunk (Tamas amoenus), 173. Townsend’s Chipmunk (Tamias townsendii), 174. Red-tailed Chipmunk (Tamias ruficaudus), 175. Shadow Chipmunk (Tamias senex), 176. Uinta Chipmunk (Tamias umbrinus)