Fire-footed Rope Squirrel

activity

Activity patterns. The Fire-footed Rope Squirrel is diurnal and forages widely on the ground from soon after sunrise until late afternoon. Whensitting upright, it curlsits tail over its back. When moving across the ground, tail is held vertically with tip curled backward.

Sciuridae

biology_ecology

Habitat. Rainforests, evergreen forests, and mature secondary forests from sea level to elevations of 1650 m. The Fire-footed Rope Squirrel is moderately tolerantly of disturbance and can occur in forest fragments.

Sciuridae

biology_ecology

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Fire-footed Rope Squirrel is largely solitary but occasionally forages pairs. Home range of a male was 5 - 2 ha, a female more than 1 ha, and a subadult female more than 2 - 3 ha. It forages slowly on the ground and fallen logs and in vegetation below 1 - 5 m. Males move 61 m / h and females 35 m / h. When mildly alarmed, individuals emit chucks that resonate through the forest and rhythmically moveits tail up and down. High-intensity alarm is a quickpaced series of staccato rapid chucks that lasts 20 - 40 seconds. Although they occasionally build nests in hollows offallen logs, they prefer burrows and sometimes use those excavated by other mammals.

Sciuridae

breeding

Breeding. Several male Fire-footed Rope Squirrels pursue a single female in a mating chase. Litters have 1 - 2 young.

Sciuridae