Giant squirrels or ratufs [1] ( lat. Ratufa ) - a genus of rodents of the squirrel family. They live in the tropical forests of South Asia.
| Giant squirrels |
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Indian giant squirrel (above), tailed giant squirrel (bottom) |
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| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Squadron : | Euarchontoglires |
| Subfamily : | Ratufinae Moore, 1959 |
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| International scientific name |
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Ratufa Gray , 1867 |
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These are large animals with a body length of about 50 cm (in one species - from 30 cm) and weighing up to 3 kg. The length of the tail is approximately equal to the length of the body. Lead a solitary lifestyle. In females, 1-2 cubs are born, 2-3 broods per year. Squirrels are characterized by well-developed and wide pads on their forepaws, which allow animals to cushion when jumping. Due to this, the giant squirrel is able to move by jumping about 6 m in length and 5-10 m in depth [2] . The diet includes a variety of plant foods, as well as large insects, eggs and chicks.
The genus includes 4 species [3] :
- Big Tailed Giant Squirrel ( Ratufa macroura ) South India, Sri Lanka
- Indian giant squirrel ( Ratufa indica ) India
- Bicolor Squirrel ( Ratufa bicolor ) Southeast Asia, Hainan , Sumatra , Java and Bali
- Cream Squirrel ( Ratufa affinis ) Peninsula Malacca, Sumatra, Borneo
