John Koprowski, a squirrel specialist, couldn’t believe his eyes when he first encountered a Malabar big squirrel, also known as an Indian gigantic squirrel.
When John was in India, he believed the animal looked more like a monkey than a squirrel because of its enormous size.
The Malabar gigantic squirrel’s size isn’t the only thing that makes it stand out; its fur color is also distinctive.
“These are enormous!” exclaims the narrator. Koprowski is a professor and associate director at the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and the Environment.
In reality, it’s just a huge squirrel, about twice the size of an eastern gray squirrel, and it’s nothing like the squirrels we’re used to seeing.
They come in a variety of hues, including black, brown, orange, maroon, and purple. Maroon and purple shades are actually unusual in mammals which makes it even more special.
These vibrant colors and intricate patterns are not only attractive to the eye, but they also aid in their survival in the environment.
“The uneven colors and dark hues are a superb adaption to evade discovery in the gloomy understory of a thick forest,” Koprowski added.
“However, when seen in the sunshine, they reveal their ‘true hues’ and lovely pelage [fur].”
Their food consists of fruit, flowers, nuts, and tree bark, according to Wikipedia. Some subspecies are omnivorous, consuming insects as well as the eggs of birds.’
Malabar gigantic squirrels are rarely seen on the ground, preferring to dwell high in the forest canopy, jumping and leaping from tree to tree, with jumps of up to 20 feet!
Malabar gigantic squirrels seldom venture to the ground, preferring to dwell high in the forest canopy, jumping and leaping from tree to tree, with jumps of up to 20 feet!
Thankfully, these adorable creatures aren’t in danger of becoming extinct, but they will need to be preserved.
It’s quite unlikely that you’ll see one of these creatures in the wild.
You’d have to go not only to eastern or southern India, but also far into the jungles.
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