Geographic Range
Swinhoe's striped squirrels (
Tamiops swinhoei
) are widely distributed in southeast Asia and most common throughout China, occurring
in central and southern China and on Hainan Island. They are also common in northern
Myanmar, northern Vietnam, and may also occur in Laos.
Habitat
Tamiops swinhoei
is found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia, but also occurs
in temperate forests and residential gardens. It typically inhabits mountainous areas,
ranging in elevation from 1,000 to 3,900 m above sea level.
- Habitat Regions
- tropical
- Terrestrial Biomes
- rainforest
Physical Description
Tamiops swinhoei
is small bodied, with characteristic light yellow stripes extending from nose to
neck on both sides of the body. It also has characterisic white tufts of hair at
the posterior tips of the ears. Cinnamon and yellow stripes run the length of the
dorsum, extending from the caudal portion of the torso to the base of the tail. No
data exists on the average size and weight of this species, though it appears to be
larger than other members of
Tamiops
. In addition to having denser
fur
, which may help insulate it at higher elevations, dorsal stripes appear to be less
brilliant than those seen in closely related species and stop at the shoulders rather
than connecting with the cheek stripes. Females have longer tails than males by about
1.8%, which is typical of arboreal species.
- Other Physical Features
- endothermic
- homoiothermic
- bilateral symmetry
- Sexual Dimorphism
- female larger
Reproduction
There is no information available concerning the mating systems of
Tamiops swinhoei
have not been studied; however, most species in the family
Sciuridae
are polygynous, and characterized by intense competition among males for access to
the estrous female.
- Mating System
- polygynous
Little is known of the reproductive behavior of
Tamiops swinhoei
, however, it has an average of 3.25 neonates per litter and there are typically two
litters per year.
- Key Reproductive Features
- iteroparous
- gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
- sexual
- viviparous
There is no information available concerning parental care in
Tamiops swinhoei
.
Lifespan/Longevity
There is no information on the average lifespan of Tamiops swinhoei .
Behavior
Tamiops swinhoei
is diurnal and arboreal. It nests, forages and mates in the canopy and possesses
strong adaptations for arboreal locomotion. It is typically social, but there is
no evidence of organized social hierarchies. It primarily forages during the day,
and like many seed eating mammal and bird species, creates food caches. Although
little is know of the general behavior of
T. swinhoei
specifically, four primary behaviors have been observed during conspecific encounters
of
sciurids
: chase, avoid, ignore, and follow. Chasing occurs primarily between adult males,
whereas avoid and ignore are common between both genders and all age classes. Follow
most often occurs between females and young or between males and females.
Home Range
The average home range size for
Tamiops swinhoei
is unknown.
Communication and Perception
Food Habits
Tamiops swinhoei
is herbivorous, and its diet consists primarily of seeds and plant parts. It is
also considered a "ginger robber" and has been found foraging in blooming patches
of tropical ginger, feeding only on the nectar. Like other
sciurids
,
T. swinhoei
creates food caches throughout its home range.
- Plant Foods
- seeds, grains, and nuts
- nectar
- sap or other plant fluids
- Foraging Behavior
- stores or caches food
Predation
Predators and predation avoidance behavior have not been characterized for
Tamiops swinhoei
. It likely faces predation risk from the same predators faced by similar arboreal
tree species occurring in Southeast Asia (e.g.,
canids
,
felids
,
snakes
and
raptors
).
Ecosystem Roles
As seed predators,
Tamiops swinhoei
likely plays an important role in the distribution, abundance, and diversity of plant
communities throughout its geographic range. As a "ginger robber", it may influence
the reproductive success of wild tropical ginger. Ginger robbing can result in decreased
seed and fruit production via damage to plant reproductive organs. However, these
detrimental effects have not been described for tropical ginger plants as a result
of the foraging behavior of
T. swinhoei
.
- Ecosystem Impact
- disperses seeds
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
There are no known positive effects of
Tamiops swinhoei
> on humans. However, hunting of small mammals is common in Southeast Asia, and this
species may function as a food source for humans throughout their geographic range.
- Positive Impacts
- food
Economic Importance for Humans: Negative
There are no known adverse effects of Tamiops swinhoei on humans.
Conservation Status
Tamiops swinhoei
is classified as a species of least concern on the IUCN's Red List of Threatened
Species. The species is common throughout Southeast Asia; however, logging and rain
forest destruction is common throughout this species geographic range, particularly
on Hainan Island.
Additional Links
Contributors
Janet Minton (author), Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, Mark Jordan (editor), Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, John Berini (editor), Animal Diversity Web Staff.
- oriental
-
found in the oriental region of the world. In other words, India and southeast Asia.
- native range
-
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
- tropical
-
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
- rainforest
-
rainforests, both temperate and tropical, are dominated by trees often forming a closed canopy with little light reaching the ground. Epiphytes and climbing plants are also abundant. Precipitation is typically not limiting, but may be somewhat seasonal.
- 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.
- 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.
- polygynous
-
having more than one female as a mate at one time
- iteroparous
-
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
- sexual
-
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
- viviparous
-
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
- arboreal
-
Referring to an animal that lives in trees; tree-climbing.
- diurnal
-
- active during the day, 2. lasting for one day.
- motile
-
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
- social
-
associates with others of its species; forms social groups.
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- visual
-
uses sight to communicate
- tactile
-
uses touch to communicate
- acoustic
-
uses sound to communicate
- chemical
-
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
- stores or caches food
-
places a food item in a special place to be eaten later. Also called "hoarding"
- food
-
A substance that provides both nutrients and energy to a living thing.
- herbivore
-
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
- granivore
-
an animal that mainly eats seeds
References
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