Cream-coloured giant squirrel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cream-coloured giant squirrel |
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| Jerantut, Peninsular Malaysia (above) and Sepilok, Malaysian Borneo (below). Bornean populations often are much darker than those elsewhere | |
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Ratufa
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| Species: |
affinis
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| Cream-coloured giant squirrel range | |
The cream-coloured giant squirrel (Ratufa affinis) is a really big tree squirrel. You can find it living in the forests of places like the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra (which is in Indonesia), and Borneo (which includes Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia). It also lives on some small islands nearby.
Sadly, this squirrel is considered "near threatened". This means it's close to becoming endangered. Its home is shrinking because of habitat degradation, which is when forests get damaged. It might even be gone from Singapore, where it was last seen in 1995.
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About the Cream-Coloured Giant Squirrel
The cream-coloured giant squirrel is one of the biggest squirrels around! Its body, from head to tail, is about 31 to 38 centimeters (12 to 15 inches) long. Its tail is even longer, usually about 37 to 44 centimeters (15 to 17 inches).
These squirrels can weigh between 875 and 1500 grams (about 2 to 3.3 pounds). On average, adult females weigh more, around 1250 grams (2.75 pounds). Males are a bit lighter, usually about 1050 grams (2.3 pounds).
What Does It Look Like?
As its name suggests, this squirrel is usually a light cream color. Sometimes it can look a very light orangish-brown. Its belly and underside are typically a whitish-cream color.
However, squirrels living in Borneo and nearby islands can look a bit different. While some are cream-colored like others, many have darker fur on their backs. This can be medium-dark grey or even almost black. This dark color really stands out against their light, whitish-cream undersides. Their sides and upper legs might also have a reddish-buff color, and their cheeks can be orangish.
Where Does the Squirrel Live?
The cream-coloured giant squirrel prefers to live in certain types of forests. It likes lower mountain forests and secondary forests. These are forests that have grown back after being cut down. It especially likes trees called dipterocarps.
This squirrel rarely goes into farms or towns. It much prefers to stay deep in the forest. Even though it mostly lives high up in the treetops, it will sometimes come down to the ground. It does this to find food or to cross open spaces between trees.
How Does the Squirrel Behave?
This squirrel is diurnal, which means it is active during the day. You'll see it moving around from morning until evening. They can live either alone or in pairs.
If a cream-coloured giant squirrel gets angry or scared, it will make a very loud sound. This sound can be heard from far away, warning others.
Nests and Babies
These squirrels often make holes in trees to use as shelter. But when it's time to have babies, they build a special nest. This nest is called a drey. It's a large, round nest made in the branches of trees. It can be as big as an eagle's nest! The young squirrels are born and raised safely inside this drey.
What Does It Eat?
The cream-coloured giant squirrel mainly eats seeds. But it also enjoys other foods. It will munch on leaves, fruits, nuts, and even tree bark. Sometimes, it also eats insects and eggs.
This squirrel has a very short thumb. It uses this thumb to hold and control its food while it's eating.
Unique Eating Style
Most tree squirrels sit upright with their tail curved over their back when they eat. But the cream-coloured giant squirrel is different! It balances itself using its back feet on a branch. This way, its hands are free to hold its food.
When it eats like this, its body is held sideways to the branch. Its head and front part of its body are on one side of the branch. Its tail hangs down on the other side, acting like a counterweight to keep it balanced.
