African Squirrels

African Squirrels
by Duncan Butchart

Visitors to Africa from Europe and North America are often surprised to see squirrels as part of the continent's mammal fauna, because they are so used to seeing these little creatures in their own backyards. But Africa, like tropical Asia and South America is actually home to a great diversity of squirrels.

Squirrels are rodents and, like their mouse and rat relatives, they have prominent gnawing incisor teeth. Most squirrels are primarily herbivorous, feeding on seeds, nuts, berries and shoots, but some species also feature insects in their diet. All squirrels have long bushy tails and some are quite boldly coloured; they are active by day and frequently encountered in savanna, forest and even arid-scrubland habitats.

Bush-Squirrels

The bush-squirrels (Paraxerus spp.) are excellent climbers and usually frequent the lower branches of savanna and woodland trees. They also spend a good deal of time on the ground foraging among fallen leaves and twigs. In southern and East Africa, the very similar Smith's and Ochre Bush-Squirrels are among the most common small mammals. They are often located when making their bird-like alarm calls, accompanied by rapid flicking of their bushy tails. Birds of prey are the main threat to these small squirrels, with smaller eagles and chanting-goshawks being the most prevalent predators. After dark, bush-squirrels retreat into tree hole nests, usually lined with grass and leaves.

The closely related Red-bellied Coast-Squirrel is found in coastal forest from Zululand north to Kenya. This is a beautiful, richly coloured squirrel characterised by a dark orange belly and cinnamon brown back. Favouring tangled thickets and tree canopies, the habits of these squirrels are less well known but berries, seeds and nuts are the chief food (commonly seen in the sandforest surrounding CC Africa's Phinda Forest Lodge, the Tongaland Red Squirrel is regarded by mammalologist Jonathan Kingdon a subspecies of this coast-squirrel).

Sun-Squirrels and Pygmy-Squirrel

In the forests of east and central Africa, live the larger sun-squirrels. They are strictly arboreal and very agile, moving with ease between the canopies of forest trees. All species have distinctive banded tails. Their common name is probably derived from their habit of lying motionless on horizontal, sunlit tree branches.

The tiny African Pygmy-Squirrel measures just 14cm from nose to tail tip and is remarkably similar to the equally tiny pygmy-squirrels of Borneo and South America. It is confined to rainforests in the wettest part of Africa, from Nigeria to Gabon.

Anomalures

Although not true squirrels, the anomalures (often called flying-squirrels) are typical of rainforest, although one species - the Lord Derby's Anomalure - is also found in tall, dry Brachystegia woodland of southern Tanzania. These extraordinary rodents are characterised by a flap of skin which extends between the fore and hind limbs that enables them to glide (not fly!) from the upper trunk of one tree to the lower trunk of another. They are thus able to forage among widely spaced trees without coming to the ground. Observations of these largely nocturnal creatures are few and far between, but it is likely that they can glide across distances of 10 or 15 metres with ease. Like beavers (those large semi-aquatic rodents of the northern hemisphere) anomalures use their incisors to cut through wood and nip branches off trees in order that they have clear gliding paths.

Ground-Squirrels

The ground-squirrels are captivating creatures which occur in open scrubland and semi-desert. Adapted to digging rather than climbing, these entirely terrestrial rodents live in family groups centred around a network of underground burrows. The most notable feature of these herbivorous squirrels is the huge bushy tail which is raised above the back to act as a sun umbrella. The burrows of these squirrels are sometimes shared by Suricates (meerkats) and Yellow Mongooses, small carnivores which live amicably alongside the rodents.

Although they are small in comparison to Africa's spectacular large mammals, the various squirrels are nevertheless fascinating and well worth watching.

- Duncan Butchart -

Posted: Mammals by CC Africa, Date: 21 November 2006