Amazon Dwarf Squirrel
Encyclopedia
The Amazon dwarf squirrel or Guianan squirrel (Microsciurus flaviventer) is a small chipmunk
-size tree squirrel
in the genus Microsciurus
and tribe
Sciurini
found in Bolivia
, Brazil
, Colombia
, Ecuador
and Peru
. It is diurnal and arboreal
, coming to ground from time to time. Its diet consists of fruit, the latex
of certain trees, and arthropod
s. It is mostly solitary, but may be found with others feeding on the same tree.
The table below lists the eight recognized subspecies of Microsciurus flaviventer, along with any synonyms associated with each subspecies:
Chipmunk
Chipmunks are small striped squirrels native to North America and Asia. They are usually classed either as a single genus with three subgenera, or as three genera.-Etymology and taxonomy:...
-size tree squirrel
Tree squirrel
Tree squirrels include over a hundred species that are found on all continents except Antarctica, and are the members of the squirrel family most commonly referred to as "squirrels"...
in the genus Microsciurus
Microsciurus
Microsciurus or dwarf squirrels is a genus of squirrels from the tropical regions of Central and South America.There are four recognized species, however, recent DNA analysis has shown that there is some confusion regarding the traditional classification of the Microsciurus species:Genus...
and tribe
Tribe (biology)
In biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
Sciurini
Sciurini
Sciurini is a tribe that includes about forty species of squirrels, mostly from the Americas. It includes five living genera—the American dwarf squirrels, Microsciurus; the Bornean Rheithrosciurus; the widespread American and Eurasian tree squirrels of the genus Sciurus, which includes some of the...
found in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. It is diurnal and arboreal
Arboreal locomotion
Arboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In every habitat in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may only scale trees occasionally, while others are exclusively arboreal. These habitats pose numerous mechanical challenges to animals...
, coming to ground from time to time. Its diet consists of fruit, the latex
Latex
Latex is the stable dispersion of polymer microparticles in an aqueous medium. Latexes may be natural or synthetic.Latex as found in nature is a milky fluid found in 10% of all flowering plants . It is a complex emulsion consisting of proteins, alkaloids, starches, sugars, oils, tannins, resins,...
of certain trees, and arthropod
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
s. It is mostly solitary, but may be found with others feeding on the same tree.
The table below lists the eight recognized subspecies of Microsciurus flaviventer, along with any synonyms associated with each subspecies:
| Subspecies | Authority | Synonyms |
|---|---|---|
| M. f. flaviventer | Gray (1867) | manarius |
| M. f. napi | Thomas (1900) | avunculus, florenciae |
| M. f. otinus | Thomas (1901) | none |
| M. f. peruanus | J. A. Allen (1897) | none |
| M. f. rubrirostris | J. A. Allen (1914) | rubicollis |
| M. f. sabanillae | Anthony (1922) | none |
| M. f. similis | Nelson (1899) | none |
| M. f. simonsi | Thomas (1900) | none |