Microsciurus
Encyclopedia
Microsciurus or dwarf squirrels is a genus of squirrel
s from the tropical regions of Central
and South America
.
There are four recognized species, however, recent DNA
analysis has shown that there is some confusion regarding the traditional classification of the Microsciurus species:
Genus Microsciurus - dwarf squirrels
With a head and body length of 15 centimetres (5.9 in) and a 12 centimetres (4.7 in) long tail, dwarf squirrels are not as small as their name suggests; they are hardly smaller than the common red or gray squirrels. The Neotropical Pygmy Squirrel
, not in this genus, is much smaller than these species. Microsciurus species have gray or brown backs, and white bellies.
All dwarf squirrels in this genus live in tropical rain forests. None of them are endangered, although they are rarely seen, because they are shy and lead hidden lives.
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 from the tropical regions of Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
There are four recognized species, however, recent DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
analysis has shown that there is some confusion regarding the traditional classification of the Microsciurus species:
Genus Microsciurus - dwarf squirrels
- Central American Dwarf SquirrelCentral American Dwarf SquirrelThe Central American dwarf squirrel is a small tree squirrel in the genus Microsciurus and tribe Sciurini found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panama....
, Microsciurus alfari AllenJoel Asaph AllenJoel Asaph Allen was an American zoologist and ornithologist, born in Springfield, Massachusetts.He studied at Harvard University under Louis Agassiz...
, 1895, Costa RicaCosta RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, PanamaPanamaPanama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, Northern ColombiaColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the... - Amazon Dwarf SquirrelAmazon Dwarf SquirrelThe Amazon dwarf squirrel or Guianan squirrel is a small chipmunk-size tree squirrel in the genus Microsciurus and tribe Sciurini found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. It is diurnal and arboreal, coming to ground from time to time. Its diet consists of fruit, the latex of certain...
, Microsciurus flaviventer Gray, 1867John Edward GrayJohn Edward Gray, FRS was a British zoologist. He was the elder brother of George Robert Gray and son of the pharmacologist and botanist Samuel Frederick Gray ....
, western Amazon basinAmazon BasinThe Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela... - Western Dwarf SquirrelWestern Dwarf SquirrelThe western dwarf squirrel is a small tree squirrel in the genus Microsciurus and tribe Sciurini found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama....
, Microsciurus mimulus ThomasOldfield ThomasOldfield Thomas FRS was a British zoologist.Thomas worked at the Natural History Museum on mammals, describing about 2,000 new species and sub-species for the first time. He was appointed to the Museum Secretary's office in 1876, transferring to the Zoological Department in 1878...
, 1898, EcuadorEcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
, Colombia, Panama - Santander dwarf squirrelSantander Dwarf SquirrelThe Santander dwarf squirrel Microsciurus santanderensis is a small tree squirrel endemic to Colombia....
, Microsciurus santanderensis Hernández-Camacho, 1957, Central Colombia
With a head and body length of 15 centimetres (5.9 in) and a 12 centimetres (4.7 in) long tail, dwarf squirrels are not as small as their name suggests; they are hardly smaller than the common red or gray squirrels. The Neotropical Pygmy Squirrel
Neotropical Pygmy Squirrel
The Neotropical pygmy squirrel is a very small tree squirrel, being the only living species in the genus Sciurillus and the subfamily Sciurillinae...
, not in this genus, is much smaller than these species. Microsciurus species have gray or brown backs, and white bellies.
All dwarf squirrels in this genus live in tropical rain forests. None of them are endangered, although they are rarely seen, because they are shy and lead hidden lives.