Poiana richardsonii (Thomson, 1842)
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5714564 |
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DOI |
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5714842 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/FC03440B-FFEA-FF8A-EF8F-44B0F74CFD9D |
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treatment provided by |
Conny |
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scientific name |
Poiana richardsonii |
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Central African Oyan
Poiana richardsonii View in CoL
French: Poiane de Richardson / German: Zentralafrikanischer Linsang / Spanish: Oyan
Other common names: African Linsang, Richardson's Linsang
Taxonomy. Genetta richardsonii Thomson, 1842 ,
Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea.
Has been considered conspecific with Leighton’s Oyan ( P. leightoni ). Two subspecies are recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution.
P. r. richardsonii Thomson, 1842 — Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea (and Bioko I), Gabon, and PR Congo.
P. r. ochracea Thomas & Wroughton, 1907 — DR Congo. View Figure
Descriptive notes. Head—body 32.1-40 cm (males), 34.6-39. 5 cm (females), tail 35-2— 40-2 cm (males), 34.0-38 cm (females), hindfoot 5.7-6. 4 cm (males), 5.7-6. 1 cm (females), ear 2:9.3-7 cm (males), 3.3-4 cm (females); weight 510-750 g (males), 455 g (females). A small, slender genetlike carnivore, with a short, soft pelage. The coat color is yellowishto reddish-brown, with small, brownish-black spots of various shapes and sizes on the back and flanks, coalescing into stripes on the neck. These spots do not form longitudinal lines and are very small on the thighs and forelimbs. There is a dark mid-dorsal line, sometimes interrupted or absent. The ventral pelage is pale gray and unspotted. The head has a pointed muzzle, a gray rhinarium, wide rounded ears, and large yellowish-brown eyes. The feet are grayish, unmarked, and with hairy soles (except for the digital pads and a narrow bare line on the plantar surface). The tail has 9-14 alternating broad and narrow black bands, interspersed with pale rings. Dental formula: 13/3,C1/1,P4/4,M 1/2 =38.
Habitat. Lowland and montane forest.
Food and Feeding. Said to eat rodents, birds, insects, fruits, and other plant matter.
Activity patterns. Thought to be nocturnal. Has been observed sleeping on thick tangled vines in trees. On Bioko Island, at 17:10 h, an individual was observed walking in a dry, rocky streambed with little vegetation, before it fled to the forest.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Thought to be arboreal.
Breeding. A lactating female has been noted in October.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. A poorly known species and field studies are needed. There are no known major threats, but it may be undergoing localized decline due to forest loss and hunting for bushmeat and skins.
Bibliography. Bates (1905), Carpaneto & Germi (1989b), Halternorth & Diller (1985), Harrington et al. (2002), Rosevear (1974), Van Rompaey & Colyn (In press i), Wozencraft, (2005).
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.
