236 Paraxerus cepapidistribution: P. cepapi is present in East and Central Af-
rica, from southern Angola and northern Namibia west-
ward through Zambia, southeastern Democratic Republic
of the Congo, western Tanzania, and southward through
Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and northern
South Africa.
geographic variation: Ten subspecies are recognized.
P. c. cepapi—Transvaal (South Africa), southern Botswana,
and Zimbabwe. See description above.
P. c. bororensis—north of the Zambezi River, near “Nama-
bieda,” Boror (Mozambique). It is a darker warmer brown
than P. c. cepapoides, with a grayer coloration on the sides
of the body and the lower portion of the hind limbs.
P. c. carpi—around the junction of the Messenguezi and
Zambezi rivers (Mozambique). This form is smaller (nearly
half the size) and paler in color than P. c. cepapi. It has
white or white yellow feet, and an orange yellow color-
ation on the thighs and the underside of the tail.
P. c. cepapoides—Beira (Mozambique). This subspecies has a
more rusty coloration than P. c. cepapi, with tawny high-
lights on the dorsal and thigh pelage.
P. c. chobiensis—northern Namibia and northern Botswana,
into southern Angola. The ventral pelage and toes are
whiter than in P. c. cepapi.
P. c. phalaena—central and northwestern Ovamboland (Na-
mibia). It is distinguished by gray pelage on the back, the
crown of the head, the shoulders, the hips, and the legs.
The feet are paler buff y white than in P. c. cepapi.
P. c. quotus—southeastern Katanga (Democratic Republic of
the Congo). This subspecies has a darker coloration.
P. c. sindi—southern Malawi and the Tete District near the
Zam bezi River (Mozambique). The midline of the under-
side of the tail is ochraceous, and the ventral pelage is
white.
P. c. soccatus—north of the Zambesi River, in Ma lawi around
Vwa za , nea r t he Hewe R iver. T h i s subsp ecies ha s g ray i sh
white feet and lacks the yellow highlights on P. c. cepapi,
particularly on the limbs and fl anks.
P. c. yulei—northeastern Zambia, western Tanzania, and
northern Malawi. This subspecies is larger, and it has
grayer shoulders with light tan gray sides. The ventral
color is white with gray highlights on the belly; and the
dorsal pelage is paler, grizzled with tan. The feet are gray
white to white yellow.conservation: IUCN status—least concern. Population
trend—stable.habitat: Smith’s bush squirrel is present in savanna wood-
lands where the trees off er suitable nesting holes—espe-
cially in mopane (Colophospermum mopane, also referred to
as Copaifera mopane) and acacia woodlands—and in mixed
associations such as Acacia/Ter minalia and Acacia/Combre-
tum. This squirrel is less common in combined Brachystegia/
Julbernardia woodlands and Baikiaea woodlands, possibly
because the trees do not provide ideal holes for nesting.natural history: P. cepapi is diurnal and arboreal. Its ac-
tivity period is infl uenced by the extreme temperatures of
its environment, which leads the squirrel to bask in the sun
on cold winter mornings and rest in the shade during the
heat of summer afternoons. Smith’s bush squirrel spends
most of its time in the trees, running and jumping quickly
and adeptly from branch to branch, but it also descends to
the ground occasiona lly to feed on fa llen fruits. This species
is primarily vegetarian and consumes a diversity of plant
structures, as well as some arthropods. In South Africa, in-
dividuals forage opportunistically in each season on more
than 30 species of plants, eating seeds, berries, fl owers, stems,
and leaves, but preferring the seeds and gums of acacia andParaxerus cepapi. Photo courtesy B. D. Patterson.