One of the 13 squirrels on WAnimals
Mammals · Rodentia · Sciuridae
Indian Giant Squirrel
Ratufa indica
Least Concern
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.
The Indian giant squirrel, or Malabar giant squirrel, is one of the largest and most striking squirrels in the world, with a coat combining chestnut, cream, maroon and purple depending on the subspecies. It lives exclusively in the high canopy of the forests of peninsular India and virtually never comes down to the ground: it moves by leaping between branches and can cover six metres in a single jump. It builds several spherical nests of twigs and leaves within its territory and uses them in rotation.
Weight
1.5 kg – 2 kg
Size
35 cm – 50 cm
Life expectancy
20 years
