Mammal · GBIF taxon 2437565
Indian Giant Squirrel
Ratufa indicaAlso known as Malabar Giant Squirrel
Indian giant squirrels are striking canopy-dwellers celebrated for their vibrant coats of deep maroon, russet, and creamy beige, which provide surprising camouflage against the sunlit upper canopy. They lead strictly arboreal lives, rarely descending to the ground, and use their massive bushy tails for balance while leaping gaps of over six meters between tree branches. Solitary and territorial, they communicate through piercing rattle-like alarm calls and construct multiple spherical leaf nests, or dreys, within high forest boughs.
ArborealDiurnalColorful
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Wild Figs
- Hard-shelled Seeds
- Tree Bark
Predators
- Black Eagle
- Crested Serpent Eagle
- Leopard
ThreatsCanopy fragmentation, logging, and habitat loss
HabitatsTropical moist evergreen and deciduous forests
Life span10–15 years
Classification
- FamilySciuridae
- SpeciesRatufa indica
Native
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe from a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Look high: Scan the uppermost canopy branches and listen for loud, staccato chattering calls.
- Bring optics: Use binoculars or a long lens, as they rarely descend to eye level.
Predator (c) Seema Merchant, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) melianie_max_and_asker, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by melianie_max_and_asker · cc-by
Close Relative JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Same Family (c) Subhadra Devi, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Subhadra Devi · cc-by
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