Sri Lankan Giant Squirrel

About the Sri Lankan Giant Squirrel

The grizzled giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura) is a large tree squirrel in the genus Ratufa found in the highlands of the Central and Uva provinces of Sri Lanka, and in patches of riparian forest along the Kaveri River and in the hill forests of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala states of southern India. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as near threatened due to habitat loss and hunting.

Grizzled giant squirrels are named for the white flecks of hair that cover their greyish-brown bodies, giving them a grizzled look. In Sinhala, they are known as dandu lena (දඬු ලේනා, lit. "stalk[-tailed] squirrel"); while in Tamil, they are called periya aṇil (பெரிய அணில், "giant squirrel") or malai aṇil (மலை அணில், "hill squirrel").

R. macroura is the smallest of the giant squirrels found in the Indian subcontinent, with a head and body length of 25 to 45 cm (10–18 in), and tail measuring roughly the same or more, for a total length of 50 to 90 cm (20–35 in). It has small rounded ears with pointed tufts. The home range of an individual is between 1,970 and 6,110 m2 (21,200–65,800 ft2).

Subspecies dandolena... Wikipedia →