The Anomaluridae are a family of rodents found in central Africa.[2] They are known as anomalures or scaly-tailed squirrels. The six extant species are classified into two genera.
All anomalurids have membranes between their front and hind legs like those of a flying squirrel, but they are not closely related to the flying squirrels that form the tribe Petauristini of the family Sciuridae. They are distinguished by two rows of pointed, raised scales on the undersides of their tails.[3] The anatomy of their heads is quite different from that of the sciuridflying squirrels.
By extending their limbs, anomalures transform themselves into a gliding platform that they control by manipulating the membranes and tail.[4] Like flying squirrels, these species have a cartilaginous rod that aids them in maintaining the extension of the patagium when in flight; unlike flying squirrels, their cartilage originates at the elbow joint rather than at the wrist.[5]
Most anomalurid species roost during the day in hollow trees, with up to several dozen animals per tree. They are primarily herbivorous, and may travel up to 6 km (3.7 mi) from their roosting tree in search of leaves, flowers, or fruit, although they also eat a small amount of insects. They give birth to litters up to three young, which are born already furred and active.[3]
^Dieterlen, F. (2005). "Family Anomaluridae". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 1533. ISBN978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
^ abFleming, Theodore (1984). Macdonald, D. (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 632. ISBN0-87196-871-1.
^Waterhouse, George Robert (27 September 1842). "Descriptions of New Species of Quadrupeds collected by Mr. Fraser at Fernando Po". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 10: 125. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
^Fabre, Pierre-Henri; Tilak, Marie-Ka; et al. (June 2018). "Flightless scaly-tailed squirrels never learned how to fly: a reappraisal of Anomaluridae phylogeny". Zoologica Scripta. 47 (4): 404–417. doi:10.1111/zsc.12286. S2CID 89754034.
^Coster, Pauline M. C.; Beard, K. Christopher; Salem, Mustafa J.; Chaimanee, Yaowalak; Jaeger, Jean-Jacques (2015). "New fossils from the Paleogene of central Libya illuminate the evolutionary history of endemic African anomaluroid rodents". Frontiers in Earth Science. 3: 56. Bibcode:2015FrEaS...3...56C. doi:10.3389/feart.2015.00056. hdl:1808/22093.
^Fabre, Pierre-Henri; Tilak, Marie-Ka; Denys, Christiane; Gaubert, Philippe; Nicolas, Violaine; Douzery, Emmanuel J. P.; Marivaux, Laurent (July 2018). "Flightless scaly-tailed squirrels never learned how to fly: A reappraisal of Anomaluridae phylogeny". Zoologica Scripta. 47 (4): 404–417. doi:10.1111/zsc.12286. S2CID 89754034.
^Heritage, S.; Fernández, D.; Sallam, H. M.; Cronin, D. T.; Esara Echube, J. M.; Seiffert, E. R. (2016). "Ancient phylogenetic divergence of the enigmatic African rodent Zenkerella and the origin of anomalurid gliding". PeerJ. 4: e2320. doi:10.7717/peerj.2320. PMC4991859. PMID 27602286.
^Sallam, Hesham M; Seiffert, Erik R.; Simons, Elwyn L., Brindley, Chloe. A Large-bodied Anomaluroid rodent from the earliest late Eocene of Egypt: Phylogenetic and biogeographic implications. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30(5):1579–1593, September 2010.
External linksedit
Meet the Scaly-tail Gliders Among the weirdest and most fascinating of rodents are the scalytails/scaly-tails, scaly-tailed squirrels or anomalures, properly termed Anomaluridae.
April 14, 2024
anomalure, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, november, 2007, . This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Anomalure news newspapers books scholar JSTOR November 2007 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Anomaluridae are a family of rodents found in central Africa 2 They are known as anomalures or scaly tailed squirrels The six extant species are classified into two genera AnomaluresTemporal range Late Eocene to recent 1 38 0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg NAnomalurus beecrofti Beecroft s flying squirrelArtist Joseph Wolf 1851Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass MammaliaOrder RodentiaSuborder AnomaluromorphaFamily AnomaluridaeGervais in d Orbigny 1849Type genusAnomalurusWaterhouse 1843GeneraAnomalurus IdiurusAll anomalurids have membranes between their front and hind legs like those of a flying squirrel but they are not closely related to the flying squirrels that form the tribe Petauristini of the family Sciuridae They are distinguished by two rows of pointed raised scales on the undersides of their tails 3 The anatomy of their heads is quite different from that of the sciurid flying squirrels By extending their limbs anomalures transform themselves into a gliding platform that they control by manipulating the membranes and tail 4 Like flying squirrels these species have a cartilaginous rod that aids them in maintaining the extension of the patagium when in flight unlike flying squirrels their cartilage originates at the elbow joint rather than at the wrist 5 Most anomalurid species roost during the day in hollow trees with up to several dozen animals per tree They are primarily herbivorous and may travel up to 6 km 3 7 mi from their roosting tree in search of leaves flowers or fruit although they also eat a small amount of insects They give birth to litters up to three young which are born already furred and active 3 Anomalurids represent one of several independent evolutions of gliding ability in mammals having evolved from climbing animals 6 7 The others include the true flying squirrels of Eurasia and North America colugos or flying lemurs of Southeast Asia and the marsupial gliding possums of Australia Contents 1 Taxonomy 1 1 Fossil genera 2 References 3 External linksTaxonomy editTaxonomy follows Fabre et al 2018 8 9 Family Anomaluridae Genus Anomalurus Beecroft s flying squirrel Anomalurus beecrofti Lord Derby s scaly tailed flying squirrel Anomalurus derbianus Pel s flying squirrel Anomalurus pelii Dwarf scaly tailed squirrel Anomalurus pusillus Genus Idiurus Long eared flying mouse Idiurus macrotis Pygmy scaly tailed flying squirrel Idiurus zenkeriFossil genera edit Several fossil genera are also known Genus Argouburus Genus Kabirmys 10 Genus Oromys Genus Paranomalurus Genus Pondaungimys Genus Prozenkerella Genus ShazurusReferences edit Mindat org www mindat org Retrieved 2021 06 12 Dieterlen F 2005 Family Anomaluridae In Wilson D E Reeder D M eds Mammal Species of the World A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference 3rd ed Johns Hopkins University Press p 1533 ISBN 978 0 8018 8221 0 OCLC 62265494 a b Fleming Theodore 1984 Macdonald D ed The Encyclopedia of Mammals New York Facts on File pp 632 ISBN 0 87196 871 1 Anomalure rodent Britannica Waterhouse George Robert 27 September 1842 Descriptions of New Species of Quadrupeds collected by Mr Fraser at Fernando Po Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 10 125 Retrieved 9 December 2023 Fabre Pierre Henri Tilak Marie Ka et al June 2018 Flightless scaly tailed squirrels never learned how to fly a reappraisal of Anomaluridae phylogeny Zoologica Scripta 47 4 404 417 doi 10 1111 zsc 12286 S2CID 89754034 Coster Pauline M C Beard K Christopher Salem Mustafa J Chaimanee Yaowalak Jaeger Jean Jacques 2015 New fossils from the Paleogene of central Libya illuminate the evolutionary history of endemic African anomaluroid rodents Frontiers in Earth Science 3 56 Bibcode 2015FrEaS 3 56C doi 10 3389 feart 2015 00056 hdl 1808 22093 Fabre Pierre Henri Tilak Marie Ka Denys Christiane Gaubert Philippe Nicolas Violaine Douzery Emmanuel J P Marivaux Laurent July 2018 Flightless scaly tailed squirrels never learned how to fly A reappraisal of Anomaluridae phylogeny Zoologica Scripta 47 4 404 417 doi 10 1111 zsc 12286 S2CID 89754034 Heritage S Fernandez D Sallam H M Cronin D T Esara Echube J M Seiffert E R 2016 Ancient phylogenetic divergence of the enigmatic African rodent Zenkerella and the origin of anomalurid gliding PeerJ 4 e2320 doi 10 7717 peerj 2320 PMC 4991859 PMID 27602286 Sallam Hesham M Seiffert Erik R Simons Elwyn L Brindley Chloe A Large bodied Anomaluroid rodent from the earliest late Eocene of Egypt Phylogenetic and biogeographic implications Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 30 5 1579 1593 September 2010 External links editMeet the Scaly tail Gliders Among the weirdest and most fascinating of rodents are the scalytails scaly tails scaly tailed squirrels or anomalures properly termed Anomaluridae Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Anomalure amp oldid 1210679485, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
