Flightless scaly-tailed squirrel

Description

The zenkerella ( zenkerella insignis Matschie,1898 ) is a rodent of the family of Anomaluridi,the only species of the genus zenkerella ( Matschie,1898 ),released in ' Africa center-west.DimensionsSmall rodent,with head and body length between 180 and 225 mm,tail length between 165 and 180 mm,foot length between 40 and 42 mm,ear length between 14 and 23 mm and weight up to 460 g.Cranial and dental features The skull is compact and has a short and narrow rostrum,the zygomatic arches thin and curved towards the outside and the large oval infra-orbital holes.The pre-maxillary bones are deep.The posterior surface of each upper incisor has a shallow recess.The first and second upper molar are larger than the premolar and upper third molar.They are characterized by the following dental formulahe fur is soft and dense.The backbone parts are gray,while the ventral parts are lighter.The head is large and gray,the ears are large,without hairs and with a rounded tip.It is devoid of the disease.The vibrisse are long and black.The limbs are short,of the same color as the back,sometimes with brownish-yellow hues.The tail is slightly shorter than the head and body,there are two rows of seven scales each at the ventral base of the tail,which is covered with blackish hairs that become longer and longer towards the extremity.