138 Callosciurus erythraeusJapan, fi rst to Izuoshima (= Izu Ōshima) Island (100 km
south of Tokyo), then from Izu Ōshima to Eno-Shima Is-
land, from which they then spread to neighboring Kama-
kura City. From Izu Ōshima Island, 100 animals were intro-
duced to Tomogashima Island (at the mouth of Osaka Bay)
in 1954. Numerous additional translocations have occurred
since these initial introductions. This species was intro-
duced into Argentina and became established in the prov -
ince of Buenos Aires in 1973, where its geographic range
expanded 1.6 km/year between 1999 and 2004. It has subse-
quently been introduced into Córdoba Province, Argentina.
geographic variation: Approximately 25 subspecies are
generally recognized. In The Mammals of the Indomalayan Re-
gion (Corbet and Hill), these are divided into four groups of
subspecies.
C. e. erythraeus group—from Sikkim to Assam (India) and
through to Myanmar, western Thailand and peninsular
Malaya, northern Vietnam, and Taiwan. The underparts
are reddish brown or reddish (sometimes agouti), com-
monly with a midventral wedge or stripe of agouti divid-
ing the reddish brown coloration into two parts.
C. e. fl avimanus group—Laos, Cambodia, and southern Viet-
nam. The feet are paler than the back.
C. e. sladeni group—between the Chindwin and Irrawaddy
rivers of Myanmar. The muzzle and feet are similar in
color to the venter.
C. e. styani group—eastern China. The venter is pale cream
to dull orange brown; the dorsum is pale and gray; and
the feet are agouti but not dark.conservation: IUCN status—least concern. Population
trend—stable.habitat: In Dampa Wildlife Reserve (Mizoram, eastern In-
dia), C. erythraeus has been observed with equal frequency
per kilometer in primary and secondary forests (twice as
pairs, nine times as individuals), but not in bamboo forests
or near human habitations. It has been observed at eleva-
tions between 200 and 1000 m, but not at higher elevations.
In Bhutan, it was found in heavily forested areas. In China,
it most frequently occurs in tropical and subtropical forests
at low elevations, but it is also found in subalpine coniferous
forests, or at elevations above 3000 m in a mix of conifers
and broadleaf trees. It will occupy pine (Pinus) plantations
that are more than 16 years old if they are protected, but, for
ones in unprotected areas, not until the plantations are 31
years old, apparently because human activities decrease the
vegetation diversity on the forest fl oor. In peninsular Ma-
laysia, C. erythraeus is described as being common in forests
and woodlands in the hills. This species was introduced to
Tomogashima Island in Japan, where it prefers both broad-
leaved and coniferous evergreen trees. In Argentina, these
squirrels are reported in fruit plantations.natural history: Over their wide range, Pallas’s squir-
rels seem to be very adaptable in their diets. On Tomo-
gashima Island (Japan), they feed extensively on camellia
fl owers (Camellia japonica), bayberry fruits (Myrica rubra),Callosciurus erythraeus. Photo courtesy Nick Baker, http://www.ecol
ogyasia.com.