The Central American dwarf squirrel, also known as Alfaro's pygmy squirrel,(''Microsciurus alfari'') is a small

tree squirrel Tree squirrels are the members of the squirrel family (Sciuridae) commonly just referred to as "squirrels." They include more than 100 arboreal species native to all continents except Antarctica and Oceania. They do not form a single natural, o ...

in the genus ''

Microsciurus ''Microsciurus'' or dwarf squirrels is a genus of squirrels from the tropical regions of Central and South America. Taxonomy and systematics Recent DNA analysis has shown that there is some confusion regarding the traditional classification o ...

'' and

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confli ...

Sciurini Sciurini is a tribe that includes about forty species of squirrels,Thorington and Hoffmann, 2005, p. 754 mostly from the Americas. It includes five living genera—the American dwarf squirrels, '' Microsciurus''; the Bornean '' Rheithrosciuru ...

found in Colombia, Costa Rica,

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...

, and

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

. No species of squirrel within this genus are endangered, but they are rarely seen because they are shy and live hidden lives. This suggests that their population numbers may be larger than documented.Allen, J. (1895). Descriptions of New American Mammals. ''Bulletin - American Museum of Natural History'', ''7'', 333. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/26894480#page/363/mode/1up

Description

Central American dwarf squirrels are not as small as their name suggests. In fact, their body measurements are close to that of the Red Squirrel and

Gray Squirrel Gray squirrel or grey squirrel may refer to several species of squirrel indigenous to North America: *The eastern gray squirrel (''Sciurus carolinensis''), from the eastern United States and southeastern Canada; introduced into the United Kingdom, I ...

, with a head-and-body length about 15 cm (5.9 in) with a 12 cm (4.7 in) long tail. The majority of their body is a dark, olive-green and brown color with a reddish-brown head coloration. The underside of their heads and limbs can range from a yellowish grey to a tawny grey color.

Distribution and habitat

Central American dwarf squirrels are native to Colombia, Costa Rica,

, and

. They typically inhabit

tropical rainforest Tropical rainforests are rainforests that occur in areas of tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season – all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm – and may also be referred to as ''lowland equa ...

s, with a preference for the heavy forest, particularly those with vines in the undergrowth, which can allow them to descend to the ground and quickly escape from

predators Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...

. Loveridge, A. (1935). Canal Zone Pygmy Squirrels. ''Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology'', ''78'', 450. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2794455#page/458/mode/1up

Ecology

Central American dwarf squirrels are typically very shy and solitary in nature. While they are diurnal some squirrels have been observed at night by hunters, suggesting a degree of nocturnal activity. Their small size, dull coloration, and quickness tend to make them hard to locate and catch or even observe. The diet of these squirrels is most likely similar that to the common herbivore, consisting of seeds, grains and nuts, including nuts of the ivory-nut palm tree which they inhabit.

Subspecies

The table below lists the six recognized subspecies of ''Microsciurus alfari'', along with any synonyms associated with each subspecies:

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1763765 Microsciurus Mammals of Colombia Rodents of Central America Mammals described in 1895 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Joel Asaph Allen