156 Dremomys pernyiTibet. This form is larger and lighter gray than the other
subspecies.
D. p. calidior—Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and Fujian (China).
This subspecies is similar to D. p. senex, but its dorsal pel-
age is a warmer brown (almost olive brown), its ventral
pelage is whiter, and it has buff y thigh patches.
D. p. fl avior—Yunnan and Guangxi (China), extending into
northern Vietnam. This form is smaller than D. p. pernyi
and is darker olive on the dorsal pelage.
D. p. howelli—southwest Yunnan (China) and the Chin Hills
of Myanmar and northeastern India. This form is gener-
ally darker above than the other species, with a short
mid-dorsal stripe and a darker anal patch.
D. p. imus—northern Myanmar. This subspecies is larger
than D. p. howelli, with the mid-dorsal stripe barely visi-
ble, and with a dull buff coloration on the front side of
the limbs.
D. p. modestus—Guizhou, southern Hunan, Guangxi, and
Guangdong (China). The dorsal pelage of this subspecies
is dull brown, with inconspicuous ear patches; and the
ventral pelage is tinged buff , especially posteriorly.
D. p. owstoni—Ta iwa n. The dorsa l pelage of t his form is brin-
dled or grizzled buff and black, the ventral pelage is dull
yellowish or orangish, and the throat is grayish white.
D. p. senex—Hubei and northern Guizhou (China). This sub-
species has a whiter patch behind the ear than D. p. pernyi,
the throat is white, and the underpart of the tail is more
ochraceous than white.
conservation: IUCN status—least concern. Population
trend—steady.
habitat: This species lives in coniferous and evergreen
broadleaf forests, at elevations between 2000 and 3500 m.
natural history: D. pernyi is mostly terrestrial. It has
been known to prey on the eggs and chicks of Courtois’s (=
Blue-Crowned) Laughingthrush (Garrulax [Dryonastes] cour-
toisi) in Wuyuan (China). It inhabits protected planted pine
(Pinus) forests in the Cangshan Mountains and the Erhai
Lake National Reserve (Yunnan, China), but not until the
pines are 6–10 years old or older. Squirrel abundance in this
reserve is positively correlated with the amount of shrub
growth, and these squirrels are less common in unprotected
forests of the same ages outside the reserve, which have
fewer shrubs. Human usage in unprotected forests causes a
reduction in the diversity of the undergrowth, which delays
the colonization and reduces the population levels of D. per-
nyi. These squirrels are considered important for the pines’
seed dispersal.general references: G. M. Allen 1940; Corbet and Hill
1992; He and Lin 2006; Men et al. 2006.Dremomys pyrrhomerus (Thomas, 1895)
Red-Hipped Squirreldescription: D. pyrrhomerus has a conspicuous red patch
on each thigh, and the whole underside of the tail is vivid
red.size: Female—HB 194.5 mm (n = 13); T 148.7 mm (n = 8);
Mass 245.0 g (n = 1).Dremomys pernyi. Photo courtesy Jeff B. Higgott, http://www.sequella
.co.uk.