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Tamiops rodolphiiCambodian striped squirrel

By Orla Budge

Geographic Range

Cambodian striped squirrels reside in multiple Southeast Asia countries. Individual sightings have been recorded in Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. (Duckworth, et al., 1994; Moore and Tate, 1965)

Habitat

Cambodian striped squirrels are a terrestrial species and have been observed in evergreen and semi-evergreen tropical forests. Tamiops rodolphii conducts many of its activities in the understory as well as the lower canopy of forested areas. The elevation range for Tamiops rodolphii has not been reported, but its close relative, Tamiops mcclellandii, has been observed up to 1,500 meters above sea level. (Molur, et al., 2005)

  • Range elevation
    1,500 (high) m
    ft

Physical Description

Tamiops rodolphii has short hair, a long tail, and large eyes. Cambodian striped squirrels have a light brown body with distinctive black and pale colored stripes on their backs as well as a black, pale, and brown striped head. Cambodian striped squirrels measure around 12 cm from their heads to the base of their tails with a tail length of 12 cm. Female and male Cambodian striped squirrels look similar and have similar body weights. An average female body length is around 11.77 cm with a 10.79 cm tail length, and an average male body length is 11.74 cm with a 11.11 cm tail length. An adult Cambodian striped squirrel can weigh up to 56 grams. (Chang, et al., 2010; Hayssen, 2008a; Moore and Tate, 1965)

  • Sexual Dimorphism
  • sexes alike
  • Average mass
    56 g
    1.97 oz
  • Average length
    24 cm
    9.45 in

Reproduction

The mating system of Tamiops rodolphii has not been reported, but most squirrel species are promiscuous where both females and males have multiple reproductive partners. (Hayssen, 2008b; Throington Jr., et al., 2012)

General reproductive behavior of Cambodian striped squirrels has not been reported, but arboreal squirrels tend to spend more time on reproduction compared to ground squirrels. Arboreal squirrel neonates are larger than ground squirrel neonates but their litter sizes are smaller. Arboreal squirrels, however, often try to have more than one litter per year, resulting in high numbers of offspring. (Hayssen, 2008b; Throington Jr., et al., 2012)

  • Key Reproductive Features
  • gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
  • sexual

The parental care behavior of Cambodian striped squirrels has not been reported, but arboreal species tend to have more parental care than ground squirrels, but less parental investment compared to flying squirrel species. (Hayssen, 2008b)

Lifespan/Longevity

The lifespan of Tamiops rodolphii has not been reported. The lifspan of its close relative, Tamiops mcclellandii, is three years in the wild. (Duckworth, et al., 2017)

Behavior

Cambodian striped squirrels have been observed foraging on the ground, on tree trunks, and on lianas. Tamiops rodolphii are a diurnal arboreal species and are often found in habitats with Himalayan striped squirrels (Tamiops maccellandi). The social behavior of Tamiops rodolphii has not been reported, but Tamiops maccellandi is a social species often found in groups. (Francis, 2008; Throington Jr., et al., 2012; Youlatos and Panyutina, 2014)

Home Range

The home range of Tamiops rodolphii has not been reported.

Communication and Perception

Although information on Tamiops rodolphii communication is limited, its close relative Tamiops mcclellandii uses alarm calls to communicate when there is a threat of predation. (Limparungpatthanakij, et al., 2017)

Food Habits

Cambodian striped squirrels are omnivores and eat flowers, insects, seeds, and tree bark. (Youlatos and Panyutina, 2014)

  • Animal Foods
  • insects
  • Plant Foods
  • wood, bark, or stems
  • seeds, grains, and nuts
  • fruit
  • flowers

Predation

Most likely predators of Tamiops rodolphii would be those that prey on Tamiops mcclellandii, such as brown fish owls (Ketupa zeylonensis) and changeable hawk-eagles (Nisaetus cirrhatus). Tamiops macclellandi has also been observed foraging near bird species such as greater racket-tailed drongos (Dicrurus paradiseus) and Ashy drongos (Dicrurus leucophaeus). Researchers suggest this is an anti-predator behavior since drongos will attack avian predators by mobbing them in large groups. (Limparungpatthanakij, et al., 2017)

Ecosystem Roles

Tamiops rodolphii has shown behavior like that of bark gleaner species. Bark gleaners are species that feed on hard-to-reach food resources such as insects that dwell in the crevasses of tree bark. Feeding upon wood born insects helps to maintain tree health. Cambodian striped squirrels are also seed dispersers. (Youlatos and Panyutina, 2014)

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Cambodian striped squirrels' positive economic importance has not been documented, but there are squirrel species in Southeast Asia that have been used for medicinal purposes. In Myanmar, oils from giant flying squirrel carcasses have been used for treating joint pain. (Ibbett, et al., 2020; Nijman and Shepard, 2017)

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Cambodian striped squirrels' negative economic importance has not been reported.

Conservation Status

According to the IUCN, Cambodian striped squirrels are classified as Least concerned. As of 2017, the population is currently stable. Very limited research has been conducted on Tamiops rodolphii. Threats to its close relative, Tamiops maccellandi, include habitat fragmentation and encroachment, forest fires, and jhuming (a method of creating farm land through controlled forest fires). (Duckworth, 2017; Molur, et al., 2005)

Contributors

Orla Budge (author), University of Washington, Laura Prugh (editor), University of Washington, Tanya Dewey (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Glossary

acoustic

uses sound to communicate

altricial

young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.

arboreal

Referring to an animal that lives in trees; tree-climbing.

bilateral symmetry

having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.

biodegradation

helps break down and decompose dead plants and/or animals

carnivore

an animal that mainly eats meat

chemical

uses smells or other chemicals to communicate

diurnal
  1. active during the day, 2. lasting for one day.
drug

a substance used for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease

endothermic

animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.

female parental care

parental care is carried out by females

folivore

an animal that mainly eats leaves.

forest

forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.

frugivore

an animal that mainly eats fruit

herbivore

An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.

insectivore

An animal that eats mainly insects or spiders.

motile

having the capacity to move from one place to another.

native range

the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.

oriental

found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia.

World Map

polygynandrous

the kind of polygamy in which a female pairs with several males, each of which also pairs with several different females.

sexual

reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female

stores or caches food

places a food item in a special place to be eaten later. Also called "hoarding"

tactile

uses touch to communicate

terrestrial

Living on the ground.

tropical

the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.

References

Chang, S., T. Oshida, H. Endo, S. Nguyen, C. Dang, D. Nguyen, X. Jiang, Z. Li, L. Lin. 2010. Ancient hybridization and underestimated species diversity in Asian striped squirrels (genus Tamiops): inference from paternal, maternal and biparental markers. Journal of Zoology, 10: 1469-7998.

Duckworth, J. 2017. "Tamiops rodolphii" (On-line). iucnredlist. Accessed April 18, 2021 at https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/21381/22252307#bibliography.

Duckworth, J., D. Lunde, S. Molur. 2017. "Himalayan Striped Squirrel (Tamiops mcclellandii)" (On-line). Accessed May 29, 2021 at https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/21379/22252047#habitat-ecology.

Duckworth, J., R. Timmins, R. Thewlis, T. Evans, G. Anderson. 1994. Field observations of mammals in Laos, 1992-1993. Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society, 42: 177-205.

Francis, C. 2008. A Field Guide to the Mammals of South-East Asia. New Hollland: New Holland Publisher.

Hayssen, V. 2008. Patterns of Body and Tail Length and Body Mass in Sciuridae. Journal of Mammalogy, 89/4: 852-873.

Hayssen, V. 2008. Reproductive Effort in Squirrels: Ecological, Phylogenetic, Allometric, and Latitudinal. Journal of Mammalogy, 89/3: 582-606.

Ibbett, H., A. Keane, A. Dobson, O. Griffin, H. Travers, E. Milner-Gulland. 2020. Estimating hunting prevalence and reliance on wild meat in Cambodia's Eastern Plains. Oryx, 10: 1-11.

Limparungpatthanakij, W., G. Gale, Y. Brockelman, P. Round. 2017. Western striped squirrel Tamiops mcclellandii: A non-avian sentinel species of bird waves. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 65: 474-481.

Molur, S., C. Srinivasulu, B. Srinivasulu, S. Walker, L. Ravikumar, P. Nameer. 2005. Status of South Asian Non-volant Small Mammals. Conservation Assessment & Management Plan (C.A.M.P.) Workshop Report: 1-618.

Moore, J., G. Tate. 1965. A study of the diurnal squirrels, Sciurinae, of the Indian and Indo-Chinese subregions. Fieldiana Zoologica, 48: 1-351.

Nijman, V., C. Shepard. 2017. Ethnozoological assessment of animals used by Mon traditional medicine vendors at Kyaiktiyo, Myanmar. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 206: 101-106.

Throington Jr., R., J. Koprowski, M. Steele, J. Whatton. 2012. Squirrels of the World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.

Youlatos, D., A. Panyutina. 2014. Habitual bark gleaning by Cambodian striped squirrels Tamiops rodolphii (Rodentia: Sciuridae) in Cat Tien National Park, South Vietnam. BioOne, 39: 73-81.

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