Fire-footed rope squirrel

The fire-footed rope squirrel, Funisciurus pyrropus, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae found in West and Central Africa from Senegal to Uganda and south to Angola. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, moist savanna and plantations. It is a relatively small rodent, with adults weighing between 225 and 240 grams. Fire-footed rope squirrels are primarily herbivores whose main diet consists of fruit and seeds, but when food is scarce they eat small termites and ants. Several males chase a single female in a ritualistic mating chase, and litters are of one to two pups. The species is recognized as a potential zoonotic reservoir for the monkeypox virus and has transmitted it to sooty mangabeys. It was described by Frederic Cuvier in 1833, and the IUCN Red List assesses it as Least Concern.