Orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Orange-bellied Himalayan squirrel
From Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in West Sikkim, India.
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Sciuridae
Genus:	Dremomys
Species:	D. lokriah
Binomial name
Dremomys lokriah (Hodgson, 1836)
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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.

Orange bellied Himalayan Squirrel at Gangtok, Sikkim, India