Fig 1
Fig 2
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Order : RODENTIA
Family : Sciuridae
Species : Callosciurus caniceps
Head-Body Length : to 24 cm
Tail Length : to 24.5 cm
(Francis, 3661)
Callosciurus caniceps
(Northern Grey-bellied Squirrel) occurs in a variety of habitats including
primary forest (deciduous and evergreen), secondary forest, disturbed
habitats (including areas dominated by bamboo) and parks and gardens. It is
generally not shy, and will approach close to human habitation, often coming
down to the ground. Its diet comprises fruits, seeds, bark and some insects.
Hinckley et al (2024) summarise its fur colour in the southern part and
northern part of its range as follows:
"In the southern part of its distribution, the upper parts of the head,
neck, all the back and the tail as far as the tip bear a … pelage
regularly ringed with ashy and black … with a rusty reddish suffusion in
the side of the neck, and frequently in the flanks and upper part of the
legs; venter coloration is whitish grey, with a red suffusion in the groin
area in adult specimens".
"In the northern part of its distribution, it displays a bright
ochraceous/rufous orange on the flanks and dorsum during the dry season, and
agouti grey in the wet season. The bright orange fades into agouti grey as
it approaches the venter, crown, and proximal one-tenth of the tail."
In all populations the tip of the tail is black.
Callosciurus caniceps occurs in southern Myanmar, many parts of
mainland Thailand, and peninsular Thailand as far south as the provinces of
Trang, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat (Hinckley et al, 2024).
Callosciurus concolor (Southern
Grey-bellied Squirrel) was formerly treated as a subspecies of Callosciurus
caniceps.
Figs 1 and 2 :
This example, from Krabi, southern Thailand, illustrates the reddish
tinge typical of squirrels from the southern part of the range of this
species.
Figs 3 to 5 : Three examples from Kaeng Krachan National Park, Phetchaburi province,
Thailand showing fur colour more typical of squirrels in the northern part
of the range of the species.
Photos thanks to Charles Currin.
References :
Francis, C.M. 2019. A Field Guide to the Mammals of South-east Asia. Second
Edition. Bloomsbury Publishing. 416 pp.
Hinckley A, Maldonado JE, Tamura N, Leonard JA, Hawkins MTR (2024) Lost in
synonymy: Integrative species delimitation reveals two unrecognized species
of Southern Asian tree squirrels (Rodentia: Sciuridae: Callosciurinae).
Vertebrate Zoology 74 683–707.
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