by Name: Indian giant squirrel or Malabar giant squirrel (Ratufa indica), nicknamed the rainbow squirrel
Where it lives: Forests and woodlands in pockets across central and southern India
What it eats: Fruits, leaves, bark, seeds, occasionally bird eggs and insects
Although the stomach and arms of Indian giant squirrels are a creamy-beige color, the rest of their pelage is a little more fancy — with hues of orange, purple and red — which is why they are nicknamed "rainbow squirrels."
These colorful critters can grow to be up to 3 feet (1 meter) long — about twice the length of their American cousin, the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis).
They're so big they've been crowned the largest squirrel species in the world by the Guinness World Records.
Source
Where it lives: Forests and woodlands in pockets across central and southern India
What it eats: Fruits, leaves, bark, seeds, occasionally bird eggs and insects
Although the stomach and arms of Indian giant squirrels are a creamy-beige color, the rest of their pelage is a little more fancy — with hues of orange, purple and red — which is why they are nicknamed "rainbow squirrels."
These colorful critters can grow to be up to 3 feet (1 meter) long — about twice the length of their American cousin, the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis).
They're so big they've been crowned the largest squirrel species in the world by the Guinness World Records.
Source
