Wingham's mystery rodents are Plantain Squirrels (Callosciurus notatus). A very nice species which surely merit a label.
Many thanks for that has been bugging me since I visited . I even contacted them via Facebook and got no reply to my question.
I was wondering why they seemed so familiar...I saw them in the wild when I visited Borneo this summer!! They were feeding on leftover fruit together with some Prevost's squirrels and one giant squirrel.
They obviously knew you were coming, so they made it really easy for you to count them While I have always liked the gorilla accommodation at Howletts, I agree that the Palace of the Apes has an extra dimension. I understand Pertinax's reservations about the open-air enclosure, but the lower part of it is well wooded and the vegetation there provides real enrichment in the summer. I also like the extra height in the enclosed section, allowed by the slope of the site, which provides a more private balcony space for the gorillas. I'm glad you saw the gorilla feed and the gentle lemurs too, of course
Indeed. Perhaps worth mentioning when we asked the keeper about them she called them Javan Squirrels and said the sign had been stolen. Shonen, from memory it did indeed have stripes on it. ~Thylo
I jumped ahead in my trip photos I bit and uploaded the best shots I have of the animal in question. While blurry, this one probably gives the best shot of the body: Plantain Squirrel | ZooChat ~Thylo
[QUOTE="gentle lemur, post: 1000215, member: 40] I agree that the Palace of the Apes has an extra dimension. I understand Pertinax's reservations about the open-air enclosure, but the lower part of it is well wooded and the vegetation there provides real enrichment in the summer. [/QUOTE] Overall I'd agree Palace of the Apes is the best enclosure as it has a combination of all the others- big open area, large covered area and some privacy too. Though I do think the outdoor area is largely cosmetic- very little used- last time I was there, a nice sunny day, the Gorillas popped out for the talk and feed and then back in again, particularly Kouillou who only showed for a few minutes. I believe outdoor enclosures were added at Port Lympne because of public suggestions it would be nice for the Gorillas not to just be in 'cages' as at Howletts, where they haven't got the space for them. But I don't think the Howletts gorillas are missing much because of that.
