Beecroft's flying squirrel | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Anomaluridae |
Genus: | Anomalurus |
Species: | A. beecrofti |
Binomial name | |
Anomalurus beecrofti Fraser, 1853 |
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Synonyms | |
Anomalurops beecrofti (Fraser, 1853) |
Anomalurops beecrofti (Fraser, 1853)
Beecroft's flying squirrel or Beecroft's scaly-tailed squirrel (Anomalurus beecrofti) is a species of rodent in the family Anomaluridae. Some authorities consider it to be monotypic within the genus Anomalurops. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, and plantations. It is threatened by habitat destruction but is a common species with a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Beecroft's flying squirrel is a medium-sized squirrel with a body-length of about 28 cm (11 in) with a tail of 21 cm (8 in). The fur is soft and thick, the upper parts being a brindled slate-grey and the underparts being paler grey with an orangeish sheen or whitish. There is a pale spot on the crown and another on the nape of the neck. A gliding membrane extends from the fore limbs to the hind limbs and onwards to the tail. This is furred on its upper side but nearly naked below. The tail is black and has sixteen to eighteen scales on the underside near its base.