Paraxerus ochraceus
Creators: name: Wilson, Don E.
name: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr
name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Rodentia
Sciuridae
Paraxerus
Paraxerus ochraceus

description: 286. Ochre Bush Squirrel <i>Paraxerus ochraceus</i> <b>French:</b> Ecureuil ocré / <b>German:</b> Ockerbuschhérnchen / <b>Spanish:</b> Ardilla de matorral ocre <b>Taxonomy.</b> Funiciurus ochraceus Huet, 1880, “Bagamoyo, Tanzania.” Eight subspecies are recognized. <b>Subspecies and Distribution.</b> P.o.ochraceusHuet,1880—C&amp;ETanzania. P.o.affinisTrouessart,1897—onlyknownfromthetypelocalityinMarsabit,NCKenya;currentrangeunknown. P.o.animosusDollman,1911—MtNyiro,NKenya. P.o.aruscensisPagenstecher,1885—NETanzaniaandSEKenya. P.o.electusThomas,1909—WKenya. P.o.gananaRhoads,1896—SEKenya(TanaRiverarea),andNETanzania. P.o.jacksonideWinton,1897—SKenya,andmostmountainforeststhroughoutthecountry. P.o.kahariHeller,1911—CKenya,aroundMeru. P.o. extending to South Sudan and S Ethiopia, but this needs to be confirmed. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body mean 164-7 mm (males) and 160-1 mm (females), tail mean 164-4 mm (males) and 166-1 mm (females); weight mean 124-8 g (males) and 137-5 g (females). Under parts of the Ochre Bush Squirrel are pure ivory to yellow. Dorsal pelage is grizzled and varies in color geographically, ranging from pale yellow or ocher to dark olive. Single pale stripe occurs above and below eyes. Long tail is marked with irregularly scattered black and pale bars and patches, and it is typically held horizontally behind body. Nominate ochraceus has medium-sized body and distinct lateral stripe. Dorsal pelage is grizzled sandy ocher, and ventral pelageis ivory. No descriptive information is available for affinis. Subspecies animosus is palest of the subspecies. Dorsal pelage is light gray-olive, with black and yellow white speckles, changing to an olive-gray on flanks. Sides of face and tops of feet are ivory. Subspecies aruscensis has dorsal richer pelage than ochraceus, and ventral coat is yellow;it lacks lateral stripes. Subspecies electus is paler on dorsum, with white under parts. Subspecies ganana is small, pale, and yellow-tan, with no lateral stripes. Subspecies jacksoni is the largest and darkest form, with greenish pelage; some individuals have pale side stripe stretching back from shoulder. Subspecies kahari has buffy olive dorsal pelage, with dark middle line bordered by lighter stripe toward rump. Ventral pelage is cream buff, and tops of the feet are ocherous. <b>Habitat.</b> Savanna woodlands, semiarid riverine forests, and thickets from sea level to elevations of ¢.2500 m. The Ochre Bush Squirrel is tolerant of human disturbance and has been found in coffee, Grevillea (Proteaceae), and eucalyptus plantations and suburban gardens in Nairobi, Kenya. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> The Ochre Bush Squirrel is primarily vegetarian and has a diverse diet of fruits, seeds, buds, flowers, roots, bulbs, acacia gum, and some animal matter. <b>Breeding.</b> Before mating, male and female Ochre Bush Squirrels engage in extensive courtship activities, including chasing and grooming one another and arching tails over their bodies as signals of reproductive interest. Breeding probably occurs almost year-round. Females produce 2-3 young, and they may nest in pairs with other females to raise their litters jointly. Young emerge from the nest at 2-3 weeks of age. <b>Activity patterns.</b> The Ochre Bush Squirrel is diurnal and arboreal. Individuals are most active in early morning and late afternoon when temperatures are coolest, and they usually rest through the hottest period of the day. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> Ochre Bush Squirrels are social and live either in pairs or small groups. Vocal communication is used; when threatened, an individual emits a high-pitched “burr” while flicking its tail. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Ochre Bush Squirrel is widespread and presumably has large populations. It occurs in protected areas and is tolerant of some habitat modification. Population trends are stable, there are no major threats, and it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. <b>Bibliography.</b> Amtmann (1975), Kingdon (1974, 1997), Thorington et al. (2012).
description: Published as part of <i>Don E. Wilson, Thomas E. Lacher, Jr &amp; Russell A. Mittermeier, 2016, Sciuridae, pp. 648-837 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 6 Lagomorphs and Rodents I, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions</i> on page 835, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6840226