The Santander dwarf squirrel (''Microsciurus santanderensis'') is a small

tree squirrel Tree squirrels are the members of the squirrel Family (biology), 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 ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Description

The Santander dwarf squirrel is a small tree squirrel, measuring around from nose to rump, with a tail about the same length again. Females are, on average, slightly larger than males. Originally described as a subspecies of the Andean squirrel, it is similar to that species in appearance, but somewhat smaller. It has reddish-orange fur over most of the body, with a black line running down the centre of the back and paler, pinkish-buff underparts. There are also paler markings on the snout and around the eyes. The tail is long and thin; the fur on the tail is relatively short, rather than bushy, and is tipped with white but otherwise black above and paler below.

Distribution and biology

The precise range of the Santander dwarf squirrel is unclear, since it is often confused with the Andean squirrel. It was originally described from

Santander Department Santander () is a department of Colombia. Santander inherited the name of one of the nine original states of the United States of Colombia. It is located in the central northern part of the country, borders the Magdalena River to the east, Bo ...

in Colombia but has since also been reported from further west. It is, however, only known definitively from a patch of land between the middle section of the

Magdalena River The Magdalena River (, ; less commonly ) is the main river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of its lower reaches, ...

and the western slopes of the Cordillera Oriental. This region varies from in elevation and is heavily forested, with oak dominating in the higher altitudes and more varied humid forest in the lowlands. Very little is known about the behaviour or biology of the species, beyond the fact that it lives in trees and appears to be diurnal. The absence of reliable information, even on the exact area that it inhabits, meant that, as of 2016, it was not possible to assess its population, conservation status or any threats it might face, and it is therefore listed as

data deficient A data deficient (DD) species is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as offering insufficient information for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made. This does not necessaril ...

by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the status ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q765313 Microsciurus Rodents of South America Mammals of Colombia Endemic fauna of Colombia Mammals described in 1957 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot