Orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel |
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| From Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in West Sikkim, India. | |
| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Dremomys
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| Species: |
lokriah
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The orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel (Dremomys lokriah) is a small, furry animal. It is a type of rodent that belongs to the squirrel family, Sciuridae. You can find these squirrels in several countries across Asia. They live in places like Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Discovering the Orange-Bellied Squirrel
Scientists use a system called taxonomy to name and group living things. This helps them understand how different species are related. The orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel was first officially described in 1836.
A scientist named Hodgson first called it Sciurus lokriah. He found the first examples of this squirrel near Mount Everest in the Xizang region.
Over the years, other scientists found more of these squirrels. They noticed slight differences in squirrels from different areas. Because of this, they gave some of these groups special names called subspecies.
Different Types of Orange-Bellied Squirrels
Scientists have identified eight different subspecies of the orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel. Six of these subspecies live in India. Each subspecies might have small differences in their looks or where they live.
Most of these different types were identified by carefully studying their physical features. This is like looking at their fur color, size, or other body parts. Scientists are still doing more modern studies, like molecular studies, to learn even more about these squirrels.
