Commonly
known as 'Shekhru', the Indian giant squirrel is the State
animal of Maharashtra. It inhabits the deciduous or mixed
forests, and is abundant in the forests of the Western
Ghats of Maharashtra.
The size of their body comes to almost 3ft. with only
the tail measuring up to 2ft. in length. The long bushy
tail helps in balancing their body on the trees. They
are deep brown in colour with buff-coloured underparts.
Giant squirrels live only in forests. They keep to the
branches of higher trees and rarely come to the ground.
They move from tree to tree taking amazing leaps with
limbs outspread, covering as much as 20 ft. in a single
leap. They are active agile animals, mostly active during
the early mornings and evenings. They are shy and wary,
not easy to discover. Despite its brilliant colouring,
the Indian Giant Squirrel is sooner heard than seen. Its
loud rattling call, often repeated, usually reveals its
presence. Any unusual sound or unfamiliar sight sets these
squirrels calling in all directions. They share with monkeys
the habit of scolding, barking and raising an alarm when
any suspicious object is sighted. When frightened, these
squirrels do not dash away; quite a common habit is to
lie flattened against a branch or to slip behind a heavy
bough or trunk. They feed on fruits, particularly the
fruits of 'Terminalia' or 'Ain'.
The Indian Giant Squirrel usually lives alone or in pairs.
These animals build large globular nests of twigs and
leaves, placing them for greater security among the slimmer
twigs and branches of trees, where heavier predators cannot
reach them .
Habit:
Arboreal animals.
Habitat:
They inhabit the deciduous, mixed deciduous
and moist evergreen forests of peninsular India south
of the Ganges and are endemic to Western ghats.
Description:
Head and body, 14-16 in. (35-40 cm); Tail about
2 ft. (60 cm.)
Distinctive
features: They have a deep brown, almost black,
coat with buff-coloured under parts. They are shy, wary
animals not easy to discover. It is said that the giant
Indian squirrel at times seeks escape by sliding down
a tree and slipping away into the dense undergrowth.
They usually live alone or in pairs
Global
Distribution: ENDEMIC to India.
Current
regional distribution: Central and eastern India, Eastern
Ghats
Range
(Sq. Km): >20000
Area
Occupied (Sq. Km): >2000
•
Threats: Hunting
• Hunting for food
• Hunting for medicine
• Loss of habitat
• Loss of habitat because of fragmentation
• Trade
• Trade for parts
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Indian
Giant Squirrel
