Nilgiri Palm Squirrel
Funambulus sublineatus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderRodentia (Rodents)
- FamilySciuridae (Squirrels)
- GenusFunambulus (Palm Squirrels)
- SpeciesFunambulus sublineatus (Nilgiri Palm Squirrel)
About the Nilgiri Palm Squirrel
The Nilgiri striped squirrel (Funambulus sublineatus) is a threatened species of rodent, a small squirrel (Sciuridae) from rainforests in the southern Western Ghats, including the Nilgiris, in Peninsular India. It formerly included Funambulus obscurus from Sri Lanka as a subspecies, at which point the English name of the "combined species" also was dusky striped squirrel (a name now restricted to the Sri Lankan species).
Funambulus sublineatus was scientifically described in 1838. Later it was merged with the Sri Lankan obscurus, then regarded as a subspecies of Funambulus sublineatus. In 2012, a review found that the two were highly distinct and recommended that they should be recognized as separate species.
The former range of the species, before the taxonomic split, was in both India and Sri Lanka, though the Nilgiri palm squirrel (F. sublineatus) is now restricted in distribution to the Western Ghats of India. Very little is known of this squirrel, probably the smallest in the genus weighing about 40g. Its new status as an endemic mammal to India means records need updating.
The species is confined to wet humid forests either in the Western Ghats... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Nilgiri Palm Squirrel in Periyar National Park
LIVEiNaturalist
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Horton Plains National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Eravikulam National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Periyar National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India |