The Indian giant squirrel, sometimes called the Malabar giant squirrel, is a large species of tree squirrel endemic to India. The state animal of the Indian state of Maharashtra, it is called ‘shekru’ in the native Marathi language.

Indian Giant Squirrel Scientific Classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae Genus: Ratufa Scientific Name: Ratufa indica

Indian Giant Squirrel Indian Giant Squirrel

Physical Description

Size: The head-body length in adults is 10-18 in (25.4-45.7 cm).

Weight: They weigh around 3.3-4.4 lb (1.5-2 kg).

Tail Length: The tail length for Indian giant squirrels is 2 ft (61 cm).

Color: Variable from a brown to dark red, undersides have white fur. There is a white spot found between the ears.

Habitat

The Indian giant squirrel lives in the moist tropical forests of Peninsular India at elevations of 590-7,546ft (180-2,300 m) above sea level.

Distribution

Its range is across the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.

Subspecies

As per the findings of Moore and Tate in a study concluded in 1965, there are four subspecies of the Indian giant squirrel:

R.indica indica

R. i. centralis

R. i. maxima

R. i. dealbata (Believed to be extinct)