An amateur photographer captured stunning pictures of multicoloured squirrels foraging for food in India.

The three-tone Malabar giant squirrel was spotted in a forest in the Pathanamthitta District by 39-year-old Kaushik Vijayan.

Also known as the Indian giant squirrel, the rodents stand out from other species because of their coats with varying shades of orange, maroon and purple.

Their bodies measure 36in from head to tail – double the size of their grey relatives – and they can leap 20ft between trees.

Mr Vijayan, from Kerala State, India, captured the animals in their natural habitat deep inside the forest.

Multicoloured squirrel pictured in India Show all 5 1 /5 Multicoloured squirrel pictured in India Multicoloured squirrel pictured in India The multicoloured Malabar Giant Squirrel, which was spotted in a forest in the Pathanamthitta District of India. See SWNS copy SWCAnuts: Incredible giant multi-coloured squirrels have taken the internet by storm - and this is no April fools. Kaushik Vijayan, 39, snapped the Malabar Giant Squirrels deep in the forests of their native India, capturing their fascinating shades of orange, maroon and purple. The stunning rodents, which are also known as the Indian giant squirrel, are double the size of the eastern grey squirrel, with bodies measuring 36 inches from head to tail. Kaushik Vijayan / SWNS.com Kaushik Vijayan / SWNS.com Multicoloured squirrel pictured in India The multicoloured Malabar giant squirrel, also known as the Indian giant squirrel, was spotted in a forest in the Pathanamthitta District of India by Kaushik Vijayan. Kaushik Vijayan / SWNS.com Multicoloured squirrel pictured in India The multicoloured Malabar Giant Squirrel, which was spotted in a forest in the Pathanamthitta District of India. See SWNS copy SWCAnuts: Incredible giant multi-coloured squirrels have taken the internet by storm - and this is no April fools. Kaushik Vijayan, 39, snapped the Malabar Giant Squirrels deep in the forests of their native India, capturing their fascinating shades of orange, maroon and purple. The stunning rodents, which are also known as the Indian giant squirrel, are double the size of the eastern grey squirrel, with bodies measuring 36 inches from head to tail. Kaushik Vijayan / SWNS.com Kaushik Vijayan / SWNS.com Multicoloured squirrel pictured in India The multicoloured Malabar Giant Squirrel, which was spotted in a forest in the Pathanamthitta District of India. See SWNS copy SWCAnuts: Incredible giant multi-coloured squirrels have taken the internet by storm - and this is no April fools. Kaushik Vijayan, 39, snapped the Malabar Giant Squirrels deep in the forests of their native India, capturing their fascinating shades of orange, maroon and purple. The stunning rodents, which are also known as the Indian giant squirrel, are double the size of the eastern grey squirrel, with bodies measuring 36 inches from head to tail. Kaushik Vijayan / SWNS.com Kaushik Vijayan / SWNS.com Multicoloured squirrel pictured in India Photographer Kaushik Vijayan. See SWNS copy SWCAnuts: Incredible giant multi-coloured squirrels have taken the internet by storm - and this is no April fools. Kaushik Vijayan, 39, snapped the Malabar Giant Squirrels deep in the forests of their native India, capturing their fascinating shades of orange, maroon and purple. The stunning rodents, which are also known as the Indian giant squirrel, are double the size of the eastern grey squirrel, with bodies measuring 36 inches from head to tail. Kaushik Vijayan / SWNS.com Kaushik Vijayan / SWNS.com

He said: “The response I see from the people on social media when I post a picture of the giant squirrels fuels my enthusiasm to go out there.

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“It was when I shared some of the photographs on social media many of my friends and followers came to know about the Malabar giant squirrel and they were all amazed by its appearance.

“Up until that point I had never heard about a squirrel like that or seen one.

“The sight was an absolute feast for my eyes.

“The squirrels fascinated me and I got excited to capture this beauty on my camera.”