Squirrels of the World

(Rick Simeone) #1
24 Ratufa affi nis

sia), and northeast Kalimantan (Indonesia). It is dark to
very dark in the midline and pale white to buff on the
venter, with thighs that are sometimes grizzled.
R. a. bunguranensis—Bunguran Island (Indonesia), in the
northern Natuna Islands, between the island of Borneo
and the Malay Peninsula. It resembles the Malayan
forms, with a uniform brown dorsal pelage.
R. a. cothurnata—West Kalimantan (Indonesia). This form re-
sembles R. a. baramensis, but with pale ungrizzled thighs.
R. a. ephippium—southeastern Kalimantan (Indonesia). This
subspecies is very dark in the dorsal midline; otherwise
it is similar to R. a. cothurnata.
R. a. hypoleucos—Sumatra (Indonesia). The top of the head is
mixed with gray; the nose and forehead are gray; the
throat, sides of the head, cheeks, and ventral surface of
the body are white; and the dorsal surface of the tail is
darker, with a yellowish tip.
R. a. insignis—Riau Islands (Indonesia). The upperparts are
burnt umber; the underparts and inner surface of the
limbs are cream buff tinged with brownish yellow, par-
ticularly on the front legs, and are lined by a light tawny
ochraceous coloration.


R. a. polia—Billiton (= Belitung) Island (Indonesia). This sub-
species resembles R. a. ephippium, but it has a distinctly
gray or dirty white head, with more grizzled and less
reddish sides.

conservation: IUCN status—near threatened. Population
trend—decreasing.

habitat: This species is found in the evergreen broadleaf
dipterocarp and lower montane forests of the Sunda Shelf.

natural history: The pale giant tree squirrel lives high
in the canopy, commonly between 20 and 40 m, where it
makes a spherical nest of twigs and small branches in the
crown of a tall tree. It feeds on seeds; occasionally on fruit
pulp, sap, or bark; and uncommonly on fl owers and leaves.
It rarely descends to the ground and only very infrequently
enters plantations.

general references: J. B. Payne 1980.

Ratufa affinis. Photo courtesy Nick Baker, http://www.ecologyasia
.com.


Ratufa affinis. Photo courtesy Morten Strange.

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