244 Paraxerus palliatusin a tree hole. She cleans the nest, perhaps to reduce the num-
ber of parasites that are present. While the young are small,
the female prevents other adults from entering and aggres-
sively responds to other squirrels, including the male. When
the young are old enough, the female permits the male to join
the family group. After reaching subadulthood, the young are
forced to leave the nest. Red bush squirrels communicate
with vocalizations, visual cues, and olfactory signals. They
commonly fl ick their tails and fl uff their fur, particularly
when in thick vegetation. Individuals emit a number of
sounds, including murmurs, hisses, growls, clicks, twitters,
and barks. Males express sexual interest in females by mur-
muring and by chasing them, which may help stimulate the
onset of estrus. Red bush squirrels also engage in urine drib-
bling and anal dragging to scent-mark areas.
general references: Amtmann 1975; Kingdon 1974;
Smithers 1983; Viljoen 1980, 1983a, 1983b, 1986, 1989.
Paraxerus poensis (A. Smith, 1830)
Green Bush Squirrel
description: P. poensis is a small squirrel, with an olive
green dorsal coat and yellow underparts. The body hair is
thick and soft. The eyes are ringed by yellow fur. The tail is
thin and dark olive in color. This species has short limbs,
small broad feet, and thick curved claws that enable it to
climb with ease.
size: Female—HB 154.2 mm (n = 17); T 159.1 mm (n = 17);
Mass 125.0 g (n = 2).
Male—HB 155.0 mm (n = 22); T 166.1 mm (n = 26); Mass
144.5 g (n = 2).
Sex not stated—HB 156.8 mm (n = 4); T 160.0 mm (n = 3);
Mass 130.6 g (n = 11).distribution: The green bush squirrel is distributed
through sub-Saharan Africa, in several discontinuous
ranges. It is found from Sierra Leone through the coastal
states to west of the Volta Basin (Ghana), as well as from
east of the Niger River (southeastern Nigeria) southward to
eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its presence has
been reported in Bata in the south and Medje and Niapa
(= Niapu) in the north of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo. It is also present on Bioko Island (Equatorial Guinea)
and the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe.
This species has been recorded from elevations as high as
1600 m on Mount Bintamane (= Mount Bintumane) in Sierra
Leone.geographic variation: None.conservation: IUCN status—least concern. Population
trend—no information.habitat: The green bush squirrel is present in lowland
tropical moist forests, brush, and secondary forests around
villages and agricultural areas. This species is considered a
pest in cocoa plantations.natural history: P. poensis is arboreal, foraging in tree
branches for fruits, seeds, and arthropods, as well as con-
suming fl ying insects and bird eggs in captivity. These squir-
rels locate ar thropods by meticulously searching stems, bark,
and the crannies of branches. Green bush squirrels liveParaxerus poensis. Photo courtesy Alain Devez.