Hyosciurus heinrichi 167Hyosciurus heinrichi Archbold and
Tat e, 1 935
Montane Long-Nosed Squirrel
description: The upperparts are dark brown fl ecked with
buff and black. The underparts are dark brownish gray with
a highly variable patterning of white fur midventrally. The
white pelage can range from a swath of irregularly outlined
white—running from the neck to the base of the tail—to an
interrupted white stripe that is divided by the background
brown pelage into patches of white on the chest and ingui-
nal regions. The hair is reversed on the nape, with a median
part of 30–40 mm. Each eye is encircled by a hairless dark
buff y-colored ring. The tail color is similar to that of the up-
perparts. H. heinrichi can be distinguished from H. ileile by
H. heinrichi’s white fur on the ventral surface; its darker dor-
sal color, larger ears, longer muzzle, and shorter body and
tail; and its lighter weight; H. heinrichi tends to be more g rac-
ile and less stocky than H. ileile. The fur reversal on the nape
is also longer in H. heinrichi.size: Sex not stated—HB 195–240 mm; T 65–120 mm; Mass
228–370 g.distribution: Its actual distribution is not fully known,
but this squirrel is found in the mountains of the western
central island of Sulawesi (Indonesia), at elevations of 1479
to 2287 m.geographic variation: None.conservation: IUCN status—least concern. Population
trend—no information.habitat: This squirrel lives in the primary forests of lower
to upper montane tropical rainforests.natural history: H. heinrichi is a diurnal ground squirrel.
It is secretive and not very vocal. Its described vocalizations
are a series of single “chirps,” sounding much like a bird and
distinctively diff erent from other Sulawesi squirrel vocal-
izations. As the degree of alarm increases, so does the fre-
quency of the “chirps.” When the animal is greatly alarmed
or agitated, the “chirps” may carry tones of a “chuck” that
may even change to a “chatter.” This squirrel exposes its ar-
thropod prey by rooting around in the leaf litter with its
long muzzle and elongated claws. Its stomach contents indi-
cate a diet of arthropods and fruits, mainly acorns. A litter
consists of one or two young. Females have three pairs of
teats: two inguinal pairs and one abdominal pair.general references: Musser et al. 2010.Hyosciurus Archbold and Tate, 1935
This genus contains two species of squirrels that are en-
demic to the island of Sulawesi (Indonesia). Hyosciurus are
readily distinguished from other Sulawesi squirrels by their
elongated muzzles and claws and their terrestrial lifestyle.
Not much is known about these squirrels, and the informa-
tion below is accurate but by no means comprehensive. The
most current information available comes from G. Musser’s
recent publication on the Sulawesi squirrels and their asso-
ciated sucking lice. More fi eldwork on the natural history of
the squirrels in this region of the world is needed.