There are three types of squirrels in Sri Lanka – palm squirrels, flying squirrels and giant squirrels. The most common is the Indian Palm Squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) with three distinctive stripes on its back.
It is a brown furry rodent mammal in the Sciuridae family with a white stomach and a bushy tail with black and white fur. It has three stripes; the two outer stripes stretch from the forelegs to the hind legs, whereas the middle stripe runs from head to tail.
Indian Palm Squirrel
It has small triangular ears.
They weigh about 100 grams.
Females are pregnant for 34 days, and they feed their babies milk for about 10 weeks.
The Indian Palm Squirrel eats mainly nuts and fruits. It does not hibernate in winter, like other squirrels. It is diurnal, active during the day.
Indian Palm Squirrel
Indian Palm Squirrel
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM