One of the 13 squirrels on WAnimals
Mammals · Rodentia · Sciuridae
Black Giant Squirrel
Ratufa bicolor
Near Threatened
It could become threatened in the near future if current threats go unchecked.
The black giant squirrel is one of the largest squirrels in the world: including the tail it can exceed a metre in length. It has a glossy black back and an intensely orange-yellow belly. It lives in the canopy of the forests of the eastern Himalaya, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula and Indonesia, and virtually never comes down to the ground. It feeds on fruit, seeds, bark, eggs and insects. It builds large spherical nests of twigs and leaves in the high forks of trees.
Weight
1 kg – 1.5 kg
Size
35 cm – 50 cm
Life expectancy
15 years
