Swinhoe's Striped Squirrel

About the Swinhoe's Striped Squirrel

Swinhoe's striped squirrel (Tamiops swinhoei) is a small species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. This species is found mostly in China and Southeast Asia. Their diet consists of mostly seeds, fruits, nuts and ginger nectar. Like most squirrels they live in forest areas with mountains, usually in groups. They have litters that average in size of 3.25 offspring.

They are small bodied with stripes running from their nose to their neck and a second set that run the length of their body to their tail. The stripes range in color from yellow to brown cinnamon. Small tufts of white fur can be seen on the tips of their ears. They have dense fur to accommodate for the high elevation where they live. Females have a longer tail than males.

Swinhoe's striped squirrels usually breed once every six months. On average they can have 3-6 offspring in a litter. Swinhoe's striped squirrel are herbivores. They eat mostly nuts, seeds, fruits, and ginger nectar. They collect their food and store it for later dates when food is scarce. Swinhoe's striped squirrel engages in nectar robbing on several different ginger species. It makes an opening at the... Wikipedia →