Giant Malabar Squirrel

Giant Malabar Squirrel Latest News

Arare Giant Malabar Squirrel has been recently spotted in the Devpur forest area of Chhattisgarh’s Barnawapara forest.

About Giant Malabar Squirrel

• The Malabar Giant Squirrel, also known as the Indian Giant Squirrel, is a large multicoloured tree squirrel species endemic to India.
• It is one of the largest squirrels in the world.
• Scientific Name: Ratufa indica.

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Giant Malabar Squirrel Habitat and Distribution

• It is found primarily in the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, and Satpura Range. 
• It is found in areas with elevation ranging from 180 to 2,300 metres in tropical deciduous, semi-deciduous, and wet evergreen forests and woodlands.
• It is arboreal and spends most of its time in the upper canopy, leaping from tree to tree with incredible agility, jumping up to 6 metre length.  
• It makes its shelter within holes in trees. 
• It is Maharashtra’s state animal and locally known as Shekru.

Giant Malabar Squirrel Features

• Total body length varies from 254 to 457 mm. The tail is typically longer than the length of its body. 
• It exhibits 2-3 types of color patterns with shades of black, brown, and deep red. 
• The body varies from deep red to brown with white patches on the belly as well as dirty white or cream-colored under-parts and forelimbs. 
• It has pink lips and a nose. The eyes are colored in bright dark or light brown.
• The powerful and long tail is light brown with a creamy white tip. 
• They have short, round ears, a broadened hand with an expanded inner paw for gripping, and large, powerful claws used for gripping tree bark and branches.
• They are typically solitary animals, being seen only rarely in pairs during the breeding season.
• Instead of running, it frequently freezes or flattens itself against the tree stem when threatened. 

Giant Malabar Squirrel Conservation Status

It is classified as ‘Least Concern‘ under the  IUCN Red List.

Source: SM