Plantain Squirrel
Callosciurus notatus
Silhouette: Kai Caspar · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderRodentia (Rodents)
- FamilySciuridae (Squirrels)
- GenusCallosciurus (Beautiful Squirrels)
- SpeciesCallosciurus notatus (Plantain Squirrel)
About the Plantain Squirrel
The plantain squirrel, oriental squirrel or tricoloured squirrel (Callosciurus notatus) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand in a wide range of habitats: forests, mangroves, parks, gardens, and agricultural areas. Fruit farmers consider them to be pests.
Its body is about 20–30 cm (8–12 in) long with a similar-sized tail. Its weight can vary from 160 to 259 g (5.6 to 9.1 oz). It is greyish/brown with a chestnut belly and a black and white stripe on the side. It is very quick and agile in trees, able to jump a few metres between trees, and rarely wanders on the ground.
Like all rodents, it has two large upper and lower incisors. Its chestnut belly easily distinguishes it from the similar black-striped squirrel, which has a grey belly. The plantain squirrel is diurnal. It is either solitary or social in small groups, wherein squirrels communicate with shrill chirps and chattering while showing off their tails. These high calls may be alarms responding to the presence of a predator. Different types of predators prompt different calls and elicit different responses in the squirrel. A snake... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Plantain Squirrel in Kinabalu Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Kinabalu Park
Borneo Black-banded Squirrel
Callosciurus orestes
Prevost's Squirrel
Callosciurus prevostii
Kinabalu Squirrel
Callosciurus baluensis
Bornean Mountain Ground Squirrel
Sundasciurus everetti
Jentink's Squirrel
Sundasciurus jentinki
Tufted Pygmy Squirrel
Exilisciurus whiteheadi
Least Pygmy Squirrel
Exilisciurus exilis
Pale Giant Squirrel
Ratufa affinis
Spotted Giant Flying Squirrel
Petaurista elegans
Low's Squirrel
Sundasciurus lowii
Jentink's Flying Squirrel
Hylopetes platyurus
Indomalayan Long-tailed Giant Rat
Leopoldamys sabanus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bako National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Tanjung Puting National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 4 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 5 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 6 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 7 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 8 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 9 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 10 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 11 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 12 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 13 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Plantain Squirrel in Kinabalu Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Plantain Squirrel sighting in Kinabalu Park, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Plantain Squirrel in Kinabalu Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Plantain Squirrel in Kinabalu Park in our monthly data.