Mammals · Rodentia · Sciuridae

Black Giant Squirrel

Ratufa bicolor

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

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

Lifespan

15 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

RainforestMountainOmnivore Diurnal Solitary Near Threatened Rainforest Mountain Mammal

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Fun facts

It leaps as much as six metres between trees and spends its whole life in the canopy: it is rarely seen on the ground.
Its tail, as long as its body or longer, works at once as a rudder in leaps, a counterweight when running along thin branches and a blanket when it sleeps.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: The canopy of evergreen rainforest and montane forest of South and South-East Asia
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 32 days
Litter / clutch size: 1.4 (average)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratufa_bicolor