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Phylum Chordata > Subphylum Vertebrata > Class Mammalia
Plantain squirrel
Callosciurus notatus
Family Sciuridae
updated Oct 2016
Where seen? This energetic and sometimes noisy squirrel is sometimes seen in trees near our shores. It is common in our forests, parks and even urban areas. It is active during the day and found in trees, only seldom coming down to the ground.

Features: Head and body to 22cm, tail to 21cm. Body and tail olive-brown, underside of the belly reddish brown, with a black and white stripe on the sides of the body and whitish around the eyes.

This mammal lives like a bird. It lives in trees and effortlessly 'flies' from branch to branch in death-defying leaps. Its chirpping calls are often mistaken for bird calls. It even creates a spherical nest of twigs and leaves to raise its young.

What does it eat? It eats fruits, seeds, leaves, bark and insects, foraging in the trees.

Lower Peirce Trail, Jan 04

Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Dec 10
   

Sentosa, Sep 18
Photo shared by Malcolm Lord

Plantain squirrels on Singapore shores

Photos of Plantain squirrels for free download from wildsingapore flickr

Distribution in Singapore on this wildsingapore flickr map

plantain squirrel @ SBWR 30Apr2011 from SgBeachBum on Vimeo.


Links

References

  • Tan Heok Hui. 2 October 2013. Plantain squirrel gathering mangrove algae. Singapore Biodiversity Records 2013: 11
  • Baker, Nick and Kelvin Lim. 2008. Wild Animals of Singapore: A Photographic Guide to Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians and Freshwater Fishes Vertebrate Study Group, Nature Society (Singapore). 180 pp.
  • Francis, Charles M. 2001. Mammals of South-East Asia New Holland Publishers. 128 pp.
 
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