178 Prosciurillus murinushabitat: This squirrel occurs along an altitudinal gradient
from coastal lowlands to an elevation of 2200 m in the
mountains. It lives in forest formations, ranging from tropi-
cal lowland evergreen rainforests to upper montane rainfor-
ests. On mountain ranges where P. abstrusus is found, it is
thought that the altitudinal ranges of P. murinus and P. ab-
strusus are mutually exclusive, with P. abstrusus occurring at
the higher elevations, where the forest changes from lower
montane forest to lowland evergreen rainforest.
natural history: P. murinus is diurnal and arboreal. This
squirrel inhabits the primary forest understory and uses
tree branches, vines, and fallen trunks to travel through the
understory and along the ground. It may forage in the upper
canopy and in the crowns of trees, and it has been observed
to forage on tree trunks, where it gnaws into the bark. The
Celebes dwarf squirrel has also been observed to forage
with conspecifi cs, with no sign of aggression among them.
Its stomach contents indicate a diet of soft fruits, seeds, and
insects. This small squirrel is quite vocal and unwary of hu-
mans. Its vocalizations range from high-pitched “chucks” to
whistles to birdlike staccato trills. Single embryos were
found in each of the pregnant females examined. Females
have three pairs of teats: two inguinal pairs and one postax-
illary pair.general references: Musser et al. 2010.Prosciurillus rosenbergii (Jentink, 1879)
Sanghir Squirreldescription: The underparts are dark brownish gray to
brownish buff. The upperparts are a rich dark chestnut
brown. The tail is blackish. This squirrel can be distin-
guished from other similarly sized squirrels by its lack of ear
tufts, nape patches, and a mid-dorsal line.size: Sex not stated—HB 190 mm; T 180 mm.distribution: Historically, this squirrel was endemic to
Kepulauan Sangihe (= Sangihe Islands, Indonesia), on the
islands of Pulau Sangihe (the largest island), Pulau Siau, Pu-
lau Tahulandang, and Pulau Ruang. Much of the land on
these islands has been deforested or converted to planta-Prosciurillus murinus. Photo courtesy Iwan Hunowu.