Funisciurus leucogenys

274.

Red-cheeked Rope Squirrel

Funisciurus leucogenys

French: Ecureuil 4 téte orange / German: Rotwangenhdrnchen / Spanish: Ardila listada africana de cuello rojo

Other common names: Orange-headed Tree Squirrel

Taxonomy. Sciurus leucogenys Waterhouse, 1842,

“Fernando Po,” Bioko, Equatorial Guinea.

Three subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

FE 1. leucogenys Waterhouse, 1842 — Bioko I.

E |. auriculatus Matschie, 1891 — from SE Ghana to Cameroon and N Equatorial Guinea.

FE 1. oliviae Dollman, 1911 — disjunct patch- es in SE Nigeria, Cameroon, and SW Central African Republic (upper Sanga River).

Descriptive notes. Head—body mean 204-4 mm (males) and 206-7 mm (females), tail mean 148-8 mm (males) and 147-2 mm (females); weight mean 271-4 g (males) and 251-9 g (females). The Red-cheeked Rope Squirrel is medium-sized and ground-dwelling; it is brightly colored. Dorsum is red with grizzled black and yellowish tinge across shoulders. Pale cream eye ring is often present. Venter is pure white from tip of nose to base of tail. Sides feature light orange-brown longitudinal stripes. Individuals vary highly in color between localities. Nominate leucogenys has white belly and pale lateral stripes. Subspecies auriculatus has unique whitish gray on neck and shoulders; venter is partially or entirely orange. Subspecies oliviae has red crown and neck pelage, dark patch of hair behind each ear, and orange belly.

Habitat. Valleys of westward-draining rivers among primary and secondary lowland and montane tropical rainforests. The Red-cheeked Rope Squirrel tolerates mild disturbance and lives in plantations greater than 2 ha and dense forest fringes.

Food and Feeding. The Red-cheeked Rope Squirrel is an herbivore that forages on fruits and grains.

Breeding. Female Red-cheeked Rope Squirrels cycle through frequent estrus and can give birth every 2-3 months. The only record oflitter size is onelitter of a single embryo in December.

Activity patterns. Red-cheeked Rope Squirrels are diurnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Red-cheeked Rope Squirrels nest in den cavities and likely leaf nests lined with grass and dry leaves. They are mobile and appearto forage effectively across a diversity of different habitat types.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Redcheeked Rope Squirrel is widespread and presumably has large populations, although no data are available on population trends. There are no known major threats, and it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

Bibliography. Angelici & Luiselli (2005), Fa (2000), Grubb (2001), Ray (2013a), Rosevear (1969), Thorington et al. (2012).