Lesson plan
Sun squirrel
Sun squirrels (genus Heliosciurus), form a taxon of squirrels under the subfamily Xerinae and the tribe Protoxerini. They are only found in sub-Saharan Africa. Either the habit of basking in the sun on tree branches or the tail being commonly used as a sunshade gave this group its common name. Sun squirrels have been implicated in the spread of human monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are six species in the genus: * Gambian sun squirrel, Heliosciurus gambianus * Mutable sun squirrel, Heliosciurus mutabilis * Small sun squirrel, Heliosciurus punctatus * Red-legged sun squirrel, Heliosciurus rufobrachium * Ruwenzori sun squirrel, Heliosciurus ruwenzorii * Zanj sun squirrel, Heliosciurus undulatus
Article summary
Sun squirrels (genus Heliosciurus), form a taxon of squirrels under the subfamily Xerinae and the tribe Protoxerini. They are only found in sub-Saharan Africa. Either the habit of basking in the sun on tree branches or the tail being commonly used as a sunshade gave this group its common name. Sun squirrels have been implicated in the spread of human monkeypox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. There are six species in the genus: * Gambian sun squirrel, Heliosciurus gambianus * Mutable sun squirrel, Heliosciurus mutabilis * Small sun squirrel, Heliosciurus punctatus * Red-legged sun squirrel, Heliosciurus rufobrachium * Ruwenzori sun squirrel, Heliosciurus ruwenzorii * Zanj sun squirrel, Heliosciurus undulatus
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.