196 Tamiops maritimushabitat: On the mainland T. maritimus is a species of low-
elevation broadleaved evergreen or mixed mesophytic for-
ests. On Taiwan it occurs at higher elevations (from 2000 to
3000 m).
natural history: The maritime striped squirrel is highly
arboreal, but it descends to the herbaceous level to feed on
the nectar of gingers (Alpinia kwangsiensis). It bites through
the base of the fl owers to get to the nectaries and thus does
not pollinate them, so their seed set is reduced to less than
20 percent of the seed set of fl owers that were not robbed by
the squirrels. The diet of T. maritimus also includes insects,
fruits, and seeds, and it is probably similar to that of T. mc-
clellandii. Its vocalization is described as a “cluck” or a short
“chirrup.”
general references: J. A. Allen 1906; Robinson and
Kloss 1922.
Tamiops mcclellandii (Horsfi eld, 1840)
Himalayan Striped Squirrel
description: On this species, the mid-dorsal black stripe
is not bisected by a longitudinal pale stripe (as seen in T.
rodolphii). The pale stripe next to the mid-dorsal black stripe
is fainter than the most lateral pale stripe. The facial stripe
from the rostrum is continuous with the most lateral pale
stripe of the back. The venter is ochraceous. T. mcclellandii is
smaller than T. swinhoei, with a shorter and less dense pelage
and more vivid stripes.size: Female—HB 112.9 mm; T 108.8 mm; Mass 51.8 g.
Male—HB 113.8 mm; T 108.3 mm; Mass 49.4 g.
Sex not stated—HB 107.6 mm; T 102.2 mm; Mass 39.0 g.distribution: The Himalayan striped squirrel is found
from eastern Nepal through Assam and Mizoram (India),
northern and central Myanmar, Tibet and the Chinese
province of Yunnan, northwestern Laos, northern Viet-Tamiops mcclellandii. Photo courtesy Nick Baker, http://www.ecology
asia.com.