African striped squirrels (
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
'' Funisciurus''), or rope squirrels, form a taxon of
squirrel
Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...
s under the subfamily
Xerinae and the tribe
Protoxerini.
They are only found in western and central
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
.
There are nine species in the genus:
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Thomas's rope squirrel
Thomas's rope squirrel or redless tree squirrel (''Funisciurus anerythrus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, an ...
(''Funisciurus anerythrus'')
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Lunda rope squirrel (''Funisciurus bayonii'')
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Carruther's mountain squirrel
The Carruther's mountain squirrel (''Funisciurus carruthersi'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist ...
(''Funisciurus carruthersi'')
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Congo rope squirrel (''Funisciurus congicus'')
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Lady Burton's rope squirrel (''Funisciurus isabella'')
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Ribboned rope squirrel
The ribboned rope squirrel (''Funisciurus lemniscatus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical o ...
(''Funisciurus lemniscatus'')
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Red-cheeked rope squirrel
The red-cheeked rope squirrel (''Funisciurus leucogenys'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo. Its natural habitats are subtropica ...
(''Funisciurus leucogenys'')
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Fire-footed rope squirrel
The fire-footed rope squirrel (''Funisciurus pyrropus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae.
Description
It is a relatively small rodent with an adult averaging at a height of 8.1 inches or 204.81 mm. Adults weigh between 225 and ...
(''Funisciurus pyrropus'')
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Kintampo rope squirrel
The Kintampo rope squirrel (''Funisciurus substriatus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae.
It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Niger, and Togo.
Its natural habitat is moist savanna
A savanna or savannah i ...
(''Funisciurus substriatus'')
Zoonoses
African striped squirrels have been implicated in the spread of human
monkeypox
Monkeypox (also called mpox by the WHO) is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and some other animals. Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over. The time from exposure to ...
in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
.
African striped squirrels were found to be a source of monkeypox in a 2003 Midwestern monkeypox outbreak.
left, Congo rope squirrel photographed in , Namibia">Damaraland, Namibia.">Namibia.html" ;"title="Damaraland,
Damaraland, Namibia.
References
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Funisciurus">
{{Squirrel-stub
Rodent genera">Namibia">Damaraland, Namibia.
References
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Funisciurus">
{{Squirrel-stub
Rodent genera