Squirrel splits in Southeast Asia by Hinckley et al (2024)
Hinckley et al (2024) have split Grey-bellied Squirrel (Callosciurus caniceps) and Himalayan Striped Squirrel (Tamiops mcclellandii). Reference: Hinckley A, Maldonado JE, Tamura N, Leonard JA, Hawkins MTR (2024). Lost in synonymy: Integrative species delimitation reveals two unrecognized species of Southern Asian tree squirrels (Rodentia: Sciuridae: Callosciurinae). Vertebrate Zoology 74:683–707.
SUMMARY – following Hinckley et al (2024); except they use “gray” not “grey”:
1: Grey-bellied Squirrel (Callosciurus caniceps) is split to Northern Grey-bellied Squirrel (Callosciurus caniceps) and Southern Grey-bellied Squirrel (Callosciurus concolor). The form in Phuket, Baan Maka, Kaeng Krachan etc is Northern Grey-bellied Squirrel (Callosciurus caniceps) with just a change in common name. Hinckley et al (2024) note that “southern distribution limits are in Trang, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces (Fig. S3). However, these provinces were not included in the genetic sampling of Hinckley et al. (2023a), which only included specimens north of 7.99 and south of 7.15 latitude”. FYI: 7.99 is just south of Krabi; the southern limit of Trang Province is at 7.15N and Hat Yai is at 7.00N. The form in Hala Bala WS (Southern Thailand) and West Malaysia (e.g. Fraser’s Hill) is Callosciurus concolor.
2: Southeast Asian Striped Squirrel (Tamiops barbei) is split from Himalayan Striped Squirrel (Tamiops mcclellandii). The form in Thailand and Malaysia is now Tamiops barbei. Hinckley et al (2024) note that Tamiops barbei is distributed from the Irrawaddy River (in Myanmar) eastwards to the Northwest provinces of Vietnam (A. E. Balakirev pers. comm.), southern Yunnan (China) ca. 23.5º N to the North, and to Selangor (Malaysia) to the South (Figs 2, S5) and that “In Thailand, the Chao Phraya River Basin might constitute a barrier for this species and its eastern limit, since this species is replaced by T. rodolphii to the east of the Chao Phraya/Pa Sak River (Chon Buri and Chaiyaphum provinces). The only exceptions are several iNaturalist records from Khao Yai National Park, which is just to the East of this river, most of which seem to represent Tamiops barbei …”
Thanks to Dave Sargeant for forwarding the article to me.
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