12 Species of Giant and Small Tree Squirrels of India

Squirrels are generally small to medium-size rodents but there are few species that are giant in size like Malabar giant squirrel and Malayan giant squirrel. Giant tree squirrels are the members of the squirrel family, They are arboreal species and live mostly on trees in the forest but now also have adapted to human environments.

Indian Palm Squirrel

Indian palm squirrel from family Sciuridae, Is a small member of the family along with Northern palm squirrel from northern India. Three-striped and five-striped palm squirrel species found naturally in India in rural and urban habitats, also considered sacred in India.

Northern Palm Squirrel

The northern palm squirrel is another common species of Indian squirrel along with five-striped palm squirrel, Found in many rural and urban habitats even in large cities of Pune, Delhi and Kolkata. The five-striped palm squirrel is a very adaptable species and found throughout its wide range of habitats.

Himalayan Striped Squirrel

Himalayan striped squirrel species is also arboreal, diurnal and like other squirrel feeds on fruits, seeds and found in variety of forest in India as well as in South Asia.

Orange-bellied Himalayan Squirrel

Orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel found in India, Nepal and Bhutan, Is one of the tree species of squirrels from the region along with Himalayan striped squirrel and Woolly flying squirrel.

Jungle Palm Squirrel

Jungle palm squirrel species from the family of Sciuridae is endemic to India, Very common in tea plantations in Western Ghats. The jungle striped squirrel listed as Near Threatened due to habitat changes.

Nilgiri Striped Squirrel

Nilgiri striped squirrel is a small squirrel and mostly found in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri hills. The Nilgiri striped squirrel also called Nilgiri palm squirrel, is endemic in range of Western Ghat mountains.

Irrawaddy Squirrel

The Irrawaddy squirrel is native to India, Myanmar and Nepal also listed as Vulnerable due to habitat loss. The hoary-bellied Himalayan squirrel is an important species of rodent from the family Sciuridae.

Pallas’s Squirrel

Pallas’s squirrel is a lesser known species of squirrel native to India and Southeast Asia. The medium-sized tree squirrels are also herbivorous like most of the squirrels and breed throughout the year.

Perny’s long-nosed Squirrel

The Perny’s long-nosed squirrel only found in Northeast Indian states, A diurnal tree squirrel. Asian red-cheeked Squirrel is another lesser known species of squirrel from the family Sciuridae, found in south-eastern Asia.

Indian Giant Squirrel

The Indian giant squirrel also called Malabar giant squirrel, Is a large herbivorous tree squirrel species, endemic to India and only found
in the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats and Satpura Range. Malabar giant squirrel along with Black giant squirrel and Grizzled giant squirrel are listed as three largest tree squirrels of India.

Black Giant Squirrel

The black giant squirrel also known as Malayan giant squirrel is one of the largest tree squirrel found in India along with Malabar giant squirrel and grizzled giant squirrel. This species is diurnal, arboreal and Kaziranga National Park of Assam is the best places to sight the black giant squirrel in India.

Grizzled Giant Squirrel

The grizzled giant squirrel is the smallest of the other three giant tree squirrels found in the Indian subcontinent, Mainly recorded from
states of southern India. The hill forests of Karnataka, Kaveri river bed, Tamil Nadu forest and Kerala are best place to spot grizzled giant squirrel in South India.