Layard's palm squirrel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Layard's palm squirrel |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Genus: | Funambulus |
| Species: |
F. layardi
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| Binomial name | |
| Funambulus layardi (Blyth, 1849)
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| Subspecies | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Funambulus layardi Robinson, 1917 |
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The Layard's palm squirrel, also called the flame-striped jungle squirrel, is a small, furry animal. It is a type of rodent in the squirrel family. This squirrel is special because it is endemic to Sri Lanka. This means it is found only in Sri Lanka and nowhere else in the world! In the local Sinhala language, it is known as mukalan lena.
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Where Layard's Palm Squirrels Live
Layard's palm squirrels mostly live in the central highlands of Sri Lanka. These are high, mountainous areas. You can often spot them in places like the Knuckles mountain range. They prefer forests that are high up in the mountains. Sometimes, they might be seen in other areas, but this is rare.
What Layard's Palm Squirrels Look Like
These squirrels are quite small. Their body and head together are about 12 to 17 centimeters long. Their tail is also long, around 14 centimeters.
Their fur is a blackish-brown color. They have three stripes on their back. The stripe in the middle is the widest and longest. This central stripe can be orange or yellow. Their belly is a reddish-orange color. They have a small snout and a bushy, blackish-brown tail with some red in it. Their fur is soft, short, and thick.
Home and Habits
Layard's palm squirrels live in forests. They like both wet lowland forests and wet mountain forests. Sadly, their homes are shrinking because of habitat loss. This means their natural living areas are being destroyed.
These squirrels are active during the day, just like other squirrels. They spend most of their time high up in the trees. They don't spend much time on the ground. As night comes, they can become quite noisy!
What Layard's Palm Squirrels Eat
Unlike some other squirrels that mostly eat plants, Layard's palm squirrels are a bit different. They are what we call omnivores. This means they eat both plants and animals. Their diet includes fruits, young plant shoots, and nuts. When plant foods are hard to find, they will also eat insects.
Life Cycle and Family
Layard's palm squirrels are known for staying with the same partner for their whole lives. They form strong pairs. When it's time to have babies, they usually have about three at once. They build their nests high in the forest canopy. These nests are made from grass, leaves, and plant fibers. The time when they have babies can change depending on the rainy seasons.
Protecting Layard's Palm Squirrels
Layard's palm squirrels are protected by law in Sri Lanka. It is strictly against the rules to catch or hunt them. However, they still face big dangers. Cutting down trees (logging) and destroying their homes are major threats. Because of this, the number of Layard's palm squirrels is going down each year. It's important to protect their forest homes so these unique squirrels can continue to thrive.
 | Aurelia Browder |
 | Nannie Helen Burroughs |
 | Michelle Alexander |
