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What Animal Looks Like a Giant Squirrel

Species of squirrel

Indian giant squirrel

R. i. indica in Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka, India
Conservation status
Least Business concern (IUCN 3.1)^[1]
CITES Appendix 2 (CITES)^[2]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Guild:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Genus:	Ratufa
Species:	R. indica
Binomial proper noun
*Ratufa indica* (Erxleben, 1777)
Subspecies^[3]
R. i. indica R. i. centralis R. i. dealbata R. i. maxima

Indian giant squirrel range

The Indian giant squirrel or Malabar behemothic squirrel (Ratufa indica) is a large multi-coloured tree squirrel species owned to forests and woodlands in Bharat. It is a diurnal, arboreal, and mainly herbivorous squirrel.^[four]

Distribution and habitat [ edit ]

This species is endemic to Bharat, with main sections of its distribution in the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats and Satpura Range as far north as Madhya Pradesh (approximately 22° N).^[one] ^[4] It is found at altitudes of 180–2,300 chiliad (590–seven,550 ft) in tropical deciduous, semi-deciduous (where oftentimes utilizing denser riparian growth), and moist evergreen forests and woodlands.^[i] ^[four] ^[5] In general, its distribution is fragmented because it is intolerant of habitat deposition.^[1] The Indian giant squirrel generally nests in taller trees with a hateful height of eleven m (36 ft) (±3 m (x ft) SD) in social club to avoid predators.^[six]

Clarification [ edit ]

The Indian giant squirrel is one of the largest squirrels with a head–and–trunk length of 25–50 cm (10 in – 1 ft viii in), a tail that is about the same or somewhat longer, and a weight of ane.5–2 kg (3.3–4.4 lb), although rarely upward to 3 kg (6.6 lb).^[vii] ^[eight] Average for both sexes is most 36 cm (1 ft 2 in) in caput–and–body length, 45 cm (1 ft 6 in) in tail length and 1.7–i.viii kg (3.vii–4.0 lb) in weight.^[5]

It has a conspicuous i-, ii- or three-toned color scheme.^[9] The colours involved tin can be whitish, flossy-beige, buff, tan, rust, reddish-maroon, brown, a night seal brown or black.^[5] ^[x] The underparts and the front legs are unremarkably cream coloured, the head can be dark-brown or beige, however there is a distinctive white spot between the ears.^[9] Otherwise the colours depend on the subspecies.^[5]

Subspecies [ edit ]

R. i. dealbatus (meridian left)
R. i. indica (beneath left)
"R. i. bengalensis" (=R. i. indica–maxima intergrade; top right)
R. i. maxima (below right)

10 subspecies have been described,^[8] but recent authorities generally recognise 4:^[5] ^[xi] ^[1]

R. i. indica: Constitute in the northern and cardinal Western Ghats from around Mumbai to Karnataka. Its upper parts and basal one-half of the tail are rich crimson-maroon or reddish-chocolate-brown; the distal part of the tail is whitish or buff.^[5] ^[viii] On occasion in that location can be some blackness at the shoulder or at the very base of operations of the tail (features typically associated with other subspecies).^[8] A few other subspecies have been described within its range based on variations in size, overall colour hue and width of the stake tail-tip,^[8] but contempo regime more often than not regard them every bit synonyms of R. i. indica.^[iii]
R. i. centralis: From central and eastern India, notably in the Satpura Range and Eastern Ghats (all other subspecies are from the Western Ghats region). It is relatively small-scale and further differs from R. i. indica by its black shoulder region, black tail except for the pale tip, and sometimes black rump.^[5] ^[8]
R. i. dealbata: Found in southern Gujarat (far northern Western Ghats region),^[eight] but recent surveys take failed to locate it,^[one] and it is mayhap extinct.^[v] A highly distinctive stake subspecies that is overall creamy-buff with a whitish tail and brown ears.^[8] It should not be dislocated with truthful albinos, rarely recorded in the Indian giant squirrel, which are whiter and accept pinkish optics different R. i. dealbata.^[12]
R. i. maxima: From southern Western Ghats. It resembles a big R. i. centralis, but with more all-encompassing black in the shoulder region and on the rump, and an almost entirely blackness tail (no pale tip). At that place is often a black dorsal stripe connecting the black shoulder region and rump. Another subspecies, R. i. bengalensis, has been described from southern Karnataka and northern Kerala, in betwixt R. i. indica and R. i. maxima. It by and large resembles R. i. indica, just the tail is black except for its pale tip and sometimes information technology has blackness shoulders, thus approaching R. i. maxima or R. i. centralis.^[8] Its intermediate appearance and distribution has acquired some questions most its validity; information technology could be regarded as an intergrade and contempo government often care for it as a synonym of R. i. maxima.^[11]

**Ratufa indica** **taxonomy** ^[3]
Subspecies	Authority	Synonyms
R. i. indica	Erxleben, 1777^[xiii]	bombaya, elphinstoni, purpureus, superans
R. i. centralis	Ryley, 1913^[14]	none
R. i. dealbata	Blanford, 1897	none
R. i. maxima	Schreber, 1784^[15]	bengalensis, malabarica

Behaviour [ edit ]

The Indian behemothic squirrel is an upper-canopy dwelling species, which rarely leaves the trees, and requires "tall profusely branched copse for the construction of nests."^[4] It travels from tree to tree with jumps of upward to half dozen one thousand (xx ft). When in danger, the Ratufa indica ofttimes freezes or flattens itself against the tree trunk, instead of fleeing.^[9] Its main predators are the birds of prey like owls^[16]and the leopard.^[nine] The Giant Squirrel is by and large active in the early hours of the morning and in the evening, resting in the midday. They are typically lone animals that but come together for breeding. The species is believed to play a substantial role in shaping the ecosystem of its habitat by engaging in seed dispersal.^[17] Diet includes fruit, flowers, nuts and tree bark. Some subspecies are omnivorous, as well eating insects and bird eggs.^[eighteen]

Family life [ edit ]

The Indian behemothic squirrel lives lonely or in pairs. They build large globular nests of twigs and leaves, placing them on thinner branches where large predators can't get to them. These nests become conspicuous in deciduous forests during the dry season. An individual may build several nests in a small-scale area of wood which are used every bit sleeping quarters, with one beingness used as a nursery.^{[ commendation needed ]}

Reproduction [ edit ]

Captive breeding of the Malayan behemothic squirrel, a shut relative has indicated births in March, April, September and December. The immature counterbalance 74.5 thou at birth and have a length of 27.3 cm. In Canara, the Indian Giant Squirrel has been spotted with young in March.^[19]

Recognition [ edit ]

Indian Giant Squirrel (Shekaru in Marathi) is the state creature of the state of Maharashtra in western Bharat.^[20]

References [ edit ]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Molur, S. (2016). "Ratufa indica". IUCN Scarlet Listing of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T19378A22262028. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.Uk.2016-2.RLTS.T19378A22262028.en . Retrieved nineteen Nov 2022.
^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org . Retrieved fourteen January 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Thorington, R.W. Jr.; Hoffmann, R.S. (2005). "Ratufa indica". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference (3rd ed.). The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 754–818. ISBN 0-8018-8221-iv . OCLC 26158608.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d (Datta & Goyal 1996, p. 394)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^yard ^h Thorington, R.W., Jr.; J.L. Koprowski; M.A. Steele; J.F. Whatton (2012). Squirrels of the Earth. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Academy Press. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-one-4214-0469-1 .
^ Pradhan, A.Yard.; Shrotriya, Southward.; Rout, Southward.D.; Dash, P.K. (2017). "Nesting and feeding habits of the Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica) in Karlapat wild fauna sanctuary, India" (PDF). Animate being Biodiversity and Conservation. xl (1): 63–69. doi: 10.32800/abc.2017.forty.0063 .
^ Nowak, R.K., ed. (1999). Walker's Mammals of the World. Vol. 2 (6 ed.). pp. 1274–1275. ISBN 978-0-8018-5789-8 .
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^{due east} ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Abdulali, H.; J.C. Daniel (1952). "Races of the Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica)". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 50: 469–474.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Tritsch 2001, pp. 132–133
^ Prater 1971, pp. 24–25
^ ^a ^b Corbet, Gordon Barclay; Hill, John Edwards (1992). The mammals of the Indomalayan Region:a systematic review. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-nineteen-854693-9 . OCLC 25281229.
^ Abdulali, H.; J.C. Daniel (1953). "A color variation, and albinism in the giant squirrel Ratufa indica". The Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 51: 731.
^ Erxleben, Johann Christian Polykarp (1777). Systema regni animalis per classes, ordines, genera, species, varietates cum synonymia et historia animalium. Classis I. Mammalia [Animate being kingdom system by class, club, genus, species, varieties with synonyms and animals' history. Class I. Mammalia.] (in Latin). Vol. 42. Leipzig, Federal republic of germany: Impensis Weygandianis. OCLC 14843832.
^ Ryley, Kathleen V. (1913). "Scientific results from the mammals survey". Periodical of the Bombay Natural History Lodge. Mumbai, Republic of india: Mumbai Natural History Club. 22: 434–443. ISSN 0006-6982. OCLC 1536710.
^ Schreber, Johann Christian Daniel von (1792) [Affiliate on The Squirrel first published in 1784]. "Der Springer" [The Squirrel]. Dice Säugthiere in Abbildungen nach der Natur, mit Beschreibungen [The Mammals in illustrations after nature, with descriptions] (in High german). Vol. 3. Erlangen: Wolfgang Walther. OCLC 16860541.
^ Kannan, R. (1994). Forest Eagle Owl (Bubo nipalensis Hodgson)--a predator of the Indian Behemothic Squirrel (Ratufa indica). Periodical of the Mumbai Natural History Lodge 91: 454
^ Justice, James. "Ratufa indica: Indian Giant Squirrel" . Retrieved 4 November 2015.
^ "Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica)". Arkive. Archived from the original on 13 Jan 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2010.
^ "Indian Giant Squirrel". jungledragon.com . Retrieved 3 Feb 2022.
^ "Listing of Indian States and their Symbols". world wide web.jagranjosh.com. fourteen August 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2022.

Datta, Aparajita; Goyal, S. P. (1996), "Comparing of Forest Structure and Use by the Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica) in Ii Riverine Forests of Central India", Biotropica, 28 (3): 394–399, doi:ten.2307/2389203, JSTOR 2389203
Prater, Due south. H. (1971), The volume of Indian Animals, Mumbai: Mumbai Natural History Society and Oxford University Press. Pp. xxiii, 324, 28 colour plates by Paul Barruel., ISBN 0-19-562169-vii
Tritsch, Marker F. (2001), Wild fauna of India, London: Harper Collins Publishers. Pp. 192, ISBN 0-00-711062-half dozen

External links [ edit ]