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Persian
Squirrel
Sciurus
anomalus
Sanjab
Irani - In Persian
Appearance:
Persian squirrel
is a typical Iranian mammal. It's an average sized mammal having a body
length of 192-230mm (head and body) with a long furry tail between 128-138mm.
This colorful animal is steel gray above and yellow below. Head and
dorsal section of the tail is red, tail becoming lighter underneath.
Generally in the southern part of its range, this red color becomes
bright yellow or orange. The bright colors differentiate it from all
other squirrels in Iran.
Habits
and habitat:
The natural
environment of the squirrel is the oak forest of the Zagros mountains,
preferring to live in large, ancient oak trees.
The squirrel acts as the cultivator of the forest as it collects acorns
and stores many of them in cavities of trees, among rocks or beneath
the ground. Many of these sprout and form new trees. This activity is
an important factor in reforestation of the oak forests of west of Iran.
Persian squirrel is active during the day and is adapted to a life in
trees. In case of danger, it uses its long sharp claws to climb trees.
Its long tail is used in balancing itself as it leaps from branch to
branch. The squirrel's den consists of a hollow cavity in a tree trunk
covered with soft vegetation. Squirrels are good swimmers although they
are not usually seen in the water.
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Diet:
fruits
and seeds of hazelnut, almond, oak and walnut trees. It supplements
its diet with the buds, leaves and stems of various trees and
sometimes eggs and chicks of birds.
Breeding:
Mating
begins in spring; after about 40 days, 3-8 blind, hairless young
are born. Squirrels mate about 2-3 times a year and the young
mature at one year. Life span is about 15 years in captivity.
Distribution:
West
and southwest of Asia. In Iran, it lives in the forests of Zagros
in west of Azarbaijan to Chahar-Mahal, Lorestan, Kohkiluyeh and
Fars.
Population
Status in Iran:
There
is not any report of the population or their status in Iran.
Persian squirrel numbers in Iran have decreased due to deforestation
and collection of acorns by people. Many hunters (specially in
Kurdestan.
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Last
Updated:
28 November, 2005
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