Prosciurillus alstoni
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
Prosciurillus
Prosciurillus alstoni

description: 21. Alston’s Squirrel <i>Prosciurillus alstoni</i> <b>French:</b> Ecureuil dAlston / <b>German:</b> Alston-Zwerghérnchen / <b>Spanish:</b> Ardilla de Alston <b>Taxonomy.</b> Sciurus alstoni J. Anderson, 1879, “probably Borneo.” Restricted by G G. Musser and colleagues in 2010 to Malakosa region, central Sulawesi, Indonesia. This species is monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> C, E &amp; SE Sulawesi, and the nearby Kabaena and Buton Is. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 157-195 mm, tail 135-180 mm; weight 135-210 g. Dorsum of Alston’s Squirrel, from forehead to base of tail, is dark brown flecked with black and orange, grading to brownish gray spotted with black and pale buff on sides of body, head, and limbs. Color of dorsal surface of feet is same as dorsum. Cheeks are buffy to ocherous and ears have conspicuous white tufts 5-8 mm long. Color of white tufts varies from pure white to whitish buff, but tufts can be absent in some individuals. Venter is short, deep dark red, nearly reddish brown, or chestnut, but in some individuals of the Southeast Peninsula,it can be reddish orange or orangered. Dorsal surface of tail alternates black and buff bands, with a terminal black tuft, and ventral surface is reddish. Alston’s Squirrel can be distinguished from other species of Prosciurillus by absence of nape patches and black mid-dorsal stripe. <b>Habitat.</b> Primary tropical lowland evergreen rain forests, at elevations of ¢.30-1200 m. Alston’s Squirrel appears to be associated with streams and riparian areas. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> Diet of Alston’s Squirrel is composed of soft fruits, such as figs, and a large variety of insects, including caterpillars, beetles (both larvae and adult), arboreal termites, and ant pupae. <b>Breeding.</b> Female Alston’s Squirrels have one post-axillary and two inguinal pairs of teats. Only a single embryo was found in each of the few examined pregnant females. <b>Activity patterns.</b> Alston’s Squirrel uses upper canopy of forest, apparently preferring moist areas near streams. It is a quiet and discrete species; vocalizations are similar to those of the Mount Topapu Squirrel (P. topapuensis). Alston’s Squirrel emits alarm calls in presence of human noise, diurnal avian predators, and when rain is approaching. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> Alston’s Squirrel is known to be sympatric with the Celebes Dwarf Squirrel (P. murinus), the Sulawesi Giant Squirrel (Rubrisciurus rubriventer), and the Lowland Long-nosed Squirrel (Hyosciurus ileile) in the central core and Southeast Peninsula of Sulawesi. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Alston’s Squirrel has not yet been assessed as a distinct species on The IUCN Red List. <b>Bibliography.</b> Musser et al. (2010), 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 719, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6840226