Callosciurus prevostii

Conservation: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Sumber: Order Rodentia - Family Sciuridae

Distribution: Peninsular Thailand to Sumatra, Borneo, and adjacent small islands; N Sulawesi. Musser (1987 a) considered the population in Sulawesi as introduced.

Sumber: Order Rodentia - Family Sciuridae

DISTRIBUTION: Malaysian subregion except Java; N Sulawesi. Musser (1987) considered the population in Sulawesi as introduced.

Sumber: Order Rodentia - Family Sciuridae

DISTRIBUTION: Malaysian subregion except Java; Sulawesi.

Sumber: Order Rodentia (Part 1)

ECOLOGY Population characteristics. — Population size fluctuate between years and seasons. Peak abundance in dipterocarp dominated, lowland primary forest in Sarawak, Malaysia occur after the peak of fruiting (Nakagawa et al. 2007). Of 4 sympatric Callosciurus species, C. prevostii is the 2 nd most abundant in the Ulu Mida Forest Reserve, Kedah, Malaysia with an estimated overall density of 3.29 km− 2 (Saiful and Nordin 2004). The estimate of 2.98 km− 2 from hill dipterocarp production forest in Sarawak (Zainuddin 1996, not seen, cited in Saiful and Nordin 2004) is low compared to estimates of 14.6 km− 2 from lowland dipterocarp forest in central Kalimantan, Indonesia (McConkey and Chivers 2004). C. prevostii was present both before and after selective logging in a dipterocarp forest (Dahaban et al. 1996). Callosciurus prevostii occurs in tall and secondary forests but will enter gardens and plantations (Payne et al. 1985). It occupies the middle story of the forest (Banks 1978). In Malaysia, C. prevostii was trapped in primary lowland forest dominated by dipterocarp trees in the emergent and canopy layers and species of Euphorbiaceae, Burseraceae, and Myristicaceae in the understory (Nakagawa et al. 2007). In this habitat, animals forage predominantly in the canopy but were occasionally observed on the ground (Nakagawa et al. 2007). In Selangor, oil palm estates are preferred habitat (Harrison and Traub 1950). At Sarawak from an area of disturbed logged forest interspersed with forest plantation of Acacia mangium, a specimen of C. p. sarawakensis was obtained from a local hunter (Wilson et al. 2006). C. p. pluto inhabits primary and old logged forests rather than clearings, newly logged forests, cultivated areas, or towns (Davis 1962). Diet. — Callosciurus prevostii pluto eats arthropods (5 – 40 %; ants, termites, and beetle larvae), as well as fruits and nuts (Davis 1962; Banks 1978; Payne et al. 1985). Finely divided pieces of pulpy fruits were present in the stomachs of 5 animals (Davis 1962). C. prevostii eats flowers and fruits of Gonystylus bancanus (Ismail et al. 2011) and fruits of Durio (Nakashima et al. 2008). In a captive zoo setting, feral mice were eaten (Xanten et al. 1988). Diseases and parasites. — Knowledge about parasites and diseases in this species is highly limited. Two captive animals lived 19 years, 2 months and 21 years, 1 month (Weigl 2005; Gorbunova et al. 2008). Endoparasites include Eimeria callosciuri in Callosciurus prevostii from Malaysia (Colley 1971) and alveolar echinococcosis, caused by the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. The latter was detected in a C. p. borneoensis found dead in an outdoor enclosure at Zürich Zoo (Staebler et al. 2007). C. prevostii tested positive for eggs of Dicrocoelium dendriticum, Capilaria hepatica, an unidentified Strongyloides species, a pinworm (Syphacia), a gastrointestinal nematode (described as “ Nippostrongylus-like ”), and the cestode Hymenolepsis diminuta (D’Ovidio et al. 2014, 2015). BEHAVIOR Callosciurus prevostii is arboreal, only descending to the ground to cross gaps in the trees, and diurnal, with most activity in the early morning and late afternoon (Davis 1962; Payne et al. 1985). C. prevostii does not curl its tail over its back but carries it unbent behind and somewhat upwards (Banks 1931). When animals move, the forefeet are splayed out horizontally, whereas the hind feet are vertical (Banks 1931). When animals sit, the ischial region touches the back of the leg rather than the substrate (Banks 1931). The large, magpie-like nest has a thick outer layer of fairly big sticks and an inner layer lined with shredded bark and a few grass-like bents; the entrance is usually low on one side of the bundle (Banks 1931). Young are “ carried in the mouth by the scruff of the neck like a cat with a kitten ” (Banks 1931: 46). Callosciurus prevostii does not emit bird-like whistles but has a call described as “ a series of chuckles ” (Banks 1978: 199). It is active and noisy (Banks 1931). When eating, “ the food is held between the palms of the two ‘ hands’ and pieces chipped off by the lower pair of incisor teeth working against the upper pair ” (Banks 1931: 46). In captivity, “ prior to mating the male chases the female, emitting clicking and high-pitch ‘ twitter’ vocalisations to which she responds with a high-pitched twitter and screeches as the pursuit continues. This behavior continues for three to four-and-a-half hours with as many as ten mating encounters taking place, each encounter including one to three copulations ” (Xanten et al. 1988: 284).

Sumber: Callosciurus prevostii (Rodentia: Sciuridae)

CONSERVATION The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species lists Callosciurus prevostii as a species of “ Least Concern ” not only because it is common and widely distributed, but also because it is somewhat tolerant of habitat modification (Duckworth and Hedges 2008). However, the population trend is decreasing, and the remaining lowland habitat is under threat. In addition, the species is heavily hunted in parts of Sarawak for the pet trade (Duckworth and Hedges 2008).

Sumber: Callosciurus prevostii (Rodentia: Sciuridae)