Sundasciurus hoogstraali

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	SCIURIDAE

Scientific Name:

Sundasciurus hoogstraali

Species Authority:

(Sanborn, 1952)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Busuanga Squirrel

Taxonomic Notes:

Taxonomic research is needed to identify whether these insular populations are distinct from other squirrels of the Palawan Faunal Region.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Ong, P., Tabaranza, B., Rosell-Ambal, G. & Balete, D.

Evaluator/s:

Amori, G. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
This species is listed as Least Concern based on the fact that it is locally common and even considered a pest species, it does well in secondary forests and gardens. Genetic studies have confirmed that this species still has a high genetic variability. Future habitat destruction and conversion may lead to this species listed as Vulnerable based on its small area of occupancy.

History:

1996

–

Lower Risk/least concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is endemic to the Philippines, where it is known only from the Palawan Faunal Region, on Busuanga and Calauit islands (Heaney et al. 1998).
Countries:	Native: Philippines
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	This species is locally common (Heaney et al. 1998; J. C. Gonzalez pers. comm.). It is abundant on Calauit mainly due to a safari ranch that has giraffes, zebras, antilope.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species was formerly found in primary lowland evergreen forests, a habitat that is now absent on these islands. Today, it occurs in secondary forests, and occasionally in gardens where it is considered a pest species. It has not been trapped in grassland (L. Heaney pers. comm.; J. C. Gonzalez pers. comm.).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	This species is hunted at times, because it can be an agricultural pest, but this is unlikely to be a major threat to the species. However, there is ongoing habitat destruction in some places due to conversion of forests to slash and burn areas that the squirrels can not tolerate (J. C. Gonzalez and P. Widmann pers. comm.).

Major Threat(s):

This species is hunted at times, because it can be an agricultural pest, but this is unlikely to be a major threat to the species. However, there is ongoing habitat destruction in some places due to conversion of forests to slash and burn areas that the squirrels can not tolerate (J. C. Gonzalez and P. Widmann pers. comm.).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The species occurs in a protected area on Caluit island.

Conservation Actions:

The species occurs in a protected area on Caluit island.

Citation:	Ong, P., Tabaranza, B., Rosell-Ambal, G. & Balete, D. 2008. Sundasciurus hoogstraali. In: IUCN 2009. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2009.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 10 February 2010.
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