Merrick, M. J., J. L. Koprowski, and R. N. Gwinn. 2012. Sciurus stramineus (Rodentia: Sciuridae). Mammalian Species 44: 44-50

Authors

Melissa J. Merrick
John L. Koprowski
R. Nathan Gwinn

Sciurus stramineus Eydoux and Souleyet, 1841, is a large-bodied squirrel commonly called the Guayaquil squirrel. S. stramineus is characterized by a distinct grizzled-gray pelage with dark feet and ears, a long tail, and a distinctive white ‘‘collar’’ behind the ears. It is native to the western slope of the Andes, occurring from dry or humid tropical forests at sea level to high- elevation montane forests up to 2,000 m in Ecuador and Peru. S. stramineus is adaptable, adjusting to anthropogenic changes and living close to human settlements, in coffee plantations, with an introduced population in Lima, Peru. Because of a tolerance for living in proximity to humans, S. stramineus is also a concern for transmission of diseases such as leptospirosis and Chagas disease.

 

 

Additional Information

Date of publication:
2012

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