Madras Treeshrew

Taxobox
name = Madras TreeshrewMSW3 Helgen|pages=104]
status = LC
status_system = iucn3.1
status_ref = IUCN2006 | assessors = CBSG CAMP Workshop, India | year = 2000 | title = Anathana ellioti | id = 39593 | downloaded = 2006-10-16]
trend = unknown


regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Mammalia
ordo = Scandentia
familia = Tupaiidae
genus = "Anathana"
genus_authority = M. W. Lyon, 1913
species = "A. ellioti"
binomial = "Anathana ellioti"
binomial_authority = (Waterhouse, 1850) [cite journal | author = Waterhouse, G. | year = 1850 | title = Description of a new species of Tupaia discovered in continental India by Walter Elliot Esq | journal = Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London | volume = 1849 | pages = 106–108]
range_

range_map_caption = Madras Treeshrew range

The Madras Treeshrew ("Anathana ellioti"), also known as the Indian Treeshrew is a species of treeshrew in the monotypic genus "Anathana" found in the hill forests of central and southern India. The genus name is derived from the Tamil name of "Moongil Anathaan" or bamboo squirrel and the species name is after Sir Walter Elliot of the Indian Civil Services in Madras.

This treeshrew is 16.0 to 18.5 cm long with a tail of 16.5 to 19.5 cm. Its dental formula is I 2/3 C 1/1 P 3/3 M 3/3. The dentition is suited for an omnivorous diet. [cite journal | author = Verma, K. | year = 1965 | title = Notes on the Biology and Anatomy of the Indian Tree-Shrew, "Anathana wroughtoni" | journal = Mammalia | volume = 29 | pages = 289–330]

The Madras Treeshrew is found on the Indian subcontinent south of the Ganges River. Three subspecies have been described — "A. e. ellioti" of the Eastern Ghats, Biligirirangan and the Shevaroy Hills and other hills of Southern India, "A. e. pallida" from Central India primarily in Madhya Pradesh and Raipur, and "A. e. wroughtoni" from the Satpura Range and the Dangs near Bombay. Little is known about the status of these populations. The nominate race (Type locality: Eastern Ghats, Madras. British Museum 50.1.21.5) has the tail coloured like the back, the ground colour above being reddish brown while the feed and hind legs are buff or ochraceous. The other two races have the tail coloured differently from the back. The race "pallida" (Type locality: Manbhum, Bengal collected by Robert Charles Beavan British Museum 66.12.28.2) has the colour of body above reddish brown and the feet and hind legs grizzled buffy. Race "wroughtoni" (Type locality: Mandvi, Surat; Collected by R. C. Wroughton British Museum 96.11.7.1) has the colour of body above dull grizzled brownish and the feet and hind legs grizzled greyish. [cite journal|author=Wroughton, R. C.|year=1918|title=Summary of the Indian Mammal Survey. Part 2|journal=Journal Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc.|volume=26|pages=28–29] Some later workers lump all the three races. [cite journal|title=Checklist of Scandents and Pholidots (Mammalia: Scandentia and Pholidota) of South Asia|author=Srinivasulu, C & Srinivasulu B|journal=Zoos' Print Journal|volume=19|issue=2|pages=1372-1374|url=http://www.zoosprint.org/ZooPrintJournal/2004/February/1372-1374.pdf]

This species of treeshrew is not particularly arboreal and spends much of its time on the ground or clambering about on rocky terrain in the search of insects and seeds. [cite web | author = Bora, S. | year = 2002 | title = Anathana ellioti | work = [http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu Animal Diversity Web] | url = http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Anathana_ellioti.html | accessdate = 2006-10-16] It is easily separated from the squirrels in the field by the shape and color of the tail and the upward curve in which it is held when walking about.

They have a behaviour of climbing up low slanting trunks and sliding down headfirst. [Chorazyna, H., G. Kurup. 1975. Observations on the Ecology and Behaviour of "Anathana ellioti" in the Wild. Contemporary Primatology: 5th International Congress of Primatology: 342-344.] This may be associated with scent marking as many of the Scandentia have scent glands on their throat.

References