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Cuvier's tree squirrel - FUNISCIURUS PYRRHOPUS
Possibly Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Squirrel": "Squirrel" comes from the Middle English word
"squyrel," which came from the Greek "skiouros" for the animal.
Notice that the family name for these animals is "Sciuridae," which
may also be the derivation of our word "scurry."
Location: Central and eastern Africa.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Woodlands and stands of palms.
Description: The overall body color varies from dark brown to olive yellow-green, but the underside of the body is always paler; the brightness of the white stripes on the back varies according to the subspecies and the distribution area. The tail is long, the ears small and round, and the female has only four nipples. Length of the head and body is up to eight inches, with the tail adding another eight inches. It weighs about one pound.
Behavior: This animal is solitary or else lives in pairs. It lives mainly in trees, but descends to the ground from time to time to gather food. It eats fruit, seeds, and various plants, and also likes insects, eggs, and small vertebrates. It makes its nest in palm trees, usually where the leaf joins the trunk about six to seven feet above the ground. It is active at dawn and dusk and rests during the hottest part of the day.
Reproduction: The female gives birth to 2 or 3 young. The time of year when the young are born varies.
Go to the Rodents Page to learn more about all the gnawing animals.
Or go to the Squirrel Index to study other
squirrels.
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