Madras Treeshrew
Encyclopedia
The Madras Treeshrew (Anathana ellioti), also known as the Indian Treeshrew is a species
of treeshrew
in the monotypic
genus Anathana found in the hill forests of central and southern India
. The genus name is derived from the Tamil
name of Moongil Anathaan (literally "bamboo squirrel") and the species name is after Sir Walter Elliot
of the Indian Civil Services in Madras.
British Museum 66.12.28.2) has the colour of body above reddish brown and the feet and hind legs grizzled buffy. Race wroughtoni (Type locality: Mandvi, Surat; Collected by R. C. Wroughton
British Museum 96.11.7.1) has the colour of body above dull grizzled brownish and the feet and hind legs grizzled greyish. Some later workers lump all the three races.
Its dental formula is . The dentition is suited for an omnivorous diet.
Some authors have suggested that this species could be included within the genus Tupaia
although most have kept the genus separate based on anatomical differences.
. Three subspecies have been described — A. e. ellioti of the Eastern Ghats
, Biligirirangan and the Shevaroy Hills
and other hills of Southern India, A. e. pallida from Central India primarily in Madhya Pradesh
and Raipur, and A. e. wroughtoni from the Satpura Range
and the Dangs near Bombay. They have been reported within the Western Ghats ranges of Wayanad (Periya) and Mahabaleshwar. The northernmost record is from Garhwa district of Bihar. Little is known about the status of these populations as the distribution is patchy, however S. M. Mohnot considered them as "common" in 1975.
This species of treeshrew is not particularly arboreal and spends much of its time on the ground or clambering about on rocky terrain in the search of insect
s and seed
s. It is easily separated from the squirrel
s in the field by the shape and color of the tail and the upward curve in which it is held when walking about.
They have a behaviour of climbing up low slanting trunks and sliding down headfirst. This may be associated with scent marking as many of the Scandentia have scent glands on their throat.
A species of sucking louse Docophthirus acinetus is found only on this species, the genus itself being restricted to hosts in the family Tupaiidae
. Endoparasitic microfiliriae have also been described from the species.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of treeshrew
Treeshrew
The treeshrews are small mammals native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. They make up the families Tupaiidae, the treeshrews, and Ptilocercidae, the pen-tailed treeshrews, and the entire order Scandentia. There are 20 species in 5 genera...
in the monotypic
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus Anathana found in the hill forests of central and southern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The genus name is derived from the Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
name of Moongil Anathaan (literally "bamboo squirrel") and the species name is after Sir Walter Elliot
Walter Elliot (ICS)
Sir Walter Elliot , Born in Edinburgh, studied at the East India College in Haileybury and joined the Indian Civil Service at Madras in 1821 and worked on till 1860....
of the Indian Civil Services in Madras.
Description
This treeshrew is 16.0 to 18.5 cm long with a tail of 16.5 to 19.5 cm. The nominate race (Type locality: Eastern Ghats, Madras. British Museum 50.1.21.5) has the tail coloured like the back, the ground colour above being reddish brown while the feed and hind legs are buff or ochraceous. The other two races have the tail coloured differently from the back. The race pallida (Type locality: Manbhum, Bengal collected by Robert Cecil BeavanRobert Cecil Beavan
Captain Robert Cecil Beavan Corresponding member of the Zoological Society, served in India with the Bengal Staff Corps for 10 years. During his short life he collected specimens of birds and eggs at various locations. He contributed notes to the Ibis journal as wells as the Proceedings of the...
British Museum 66.12.28.2) has the colour of body above reddish brown and the feet and hind legs grizzled buffy. Race wroughtoni (Type locality: Mandvi, Surat; Collected by R. C. Wroughton
R. C. Wroughton
Robert Charles Wroughton was an officer in the Indian Forest Service from 10 December 1871 to 1904....
British Museum 96.11.7.1) has the colour of body above dull grizzled brownish and the feet and hind legs grizzled greyish. Some later workers lump all the three races.
Its dental formula is . The dentition is suited for an omnivorous diet.
Some authors have suggested that this species could be included within the genus Tupaia
Tupaia (genus)
Tupaia is a genus of treeshrew in the Tupaiidae family.The genus was first described by Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1821, as having an elongated snout, 8 to 10 incisors, well developed limbs, five-toed naked feet, and the sole furnished with projecting pads and sharp claws, with a habit and tail of...
although most have kept the genus separate based on anatomical differences.
Distribution
The Madras Treeshrew is found on the Indian subcontinent south of the Ganges RiverGanges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
. Three subspecies have been described — A. e. ellioti of the Eastern Ghats
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghauts are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the...
, Biligirirangan and the Shevaroy Hills
Shevaroy Hills
Shevaroys is the anglicised name for the Servarayan which lie near the town of Salem in Tamil Nadu, India. It is a detached hill range, covering an area of 50 sq. m., with plateaus from 4000 to 5000 ft. above sea-level. They include the sanatorium and several old coffee plantations...
and other hills of Southern India, A. e. pallida from Central India primarily in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
and Raipur, and A. e. wroughtoni from the Satpura Range
Satpura Range
The Satpura Range is a range of hills in central India. The range rises in eastern Gujarat state near the Arabian Sea coast, running east through Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to Chhattisgarh. The range parallels the Vindhya Range to the north, and these two east-west ranges divide the...
and the Dangs near Bombay. They have been reported within the Western Ghats ranges of Wayanad (Periya) and Mahabaleshwar. The northernmost record is from Garhwa district of Bihar. Little is known about the status of these populations as the distribution is patchy, however S. M. Mohnot considered them as "common" in 1975.
Behaviour and ecology
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s. It is easily separated from the squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s in the field by the shape and color of the tail and the upward curve in which it is held when walking about.
They have a behaviour of climbing up low slanting trunks and sliding down headfirst. This may be associated with scent marking as many of the Scandentia have scent glands on their throat.
A species of sucking louse Docophthirus acinetus is found only on this species, the genus itself being restricted to hosts in the family Tupaiidae
Tupaiidae
Tupaiidae is one of two families of treeshrews, the other family being Ptilocercidae. It contains 4 genera and 19 species.-Taxonomy:*Order: Scandentia** Family Tupaiidae*** Genus Anathana**** Madras Treeshrew, Anathana ellioti...
. Endoparasitic microfiliriae have also been described from the species.