Plantain Squirrel (Callosciurus notatus)

OTHER NAMES: Oriental Squirrel, Tricoloured Squirrel

Latin Etymology: Callosciurus ("beautiful squirrel") notatus ("marked")

Adult Plantain Squirrel (subspecies C. n. miniatus) at Kuala Lumpur - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Callosciurus notatus miniatus
Weight: 150-280g  /  Length: 40-60cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The most common squirrel in my time in Malaysia and probably the most common mammal on the trip in general, the Plantain Squirrel is a distinctive species with bands of orange, black and white on it's belly that make it easy to recognise, which, combined with it's large size make it easy to spot.  They are quite happy to live in parks in much the same way as grey squirrels are in the UK.  My favourite moment with this species however was when strolling through Kuala Lumpur Botanic Gardens, a shape suddenly thudded on the ground in an open patch of grass - we initially thought it was a branch but when it scurried off back to the treeit had fallen from (and it must have been a good 20m fall at least) it had very much an air of refusing to acknowledge that anyone had seen it be so ungraceful.

Related Species:
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Callosciurus
SUBSPECIES: C. n. notatus, C. n. diardii, C. n. vittatus, C. n. suffusus, C. n. miniatus

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - Tupai Pinang ("Pinang Squirrel")

A common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Fairly common in Kuala Lumpur

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Grey-bellied Squirrel (Callosciurus caniceps)

OTHER NAMES: N/A

Latin Etymology: Callosciurus ("beautiful squirrel") caniceps ("grey headed")

Adult Grey-bellied Squirrel (subspecies C. c. concolor) at Kuala Lumpur - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Callosciurus caniceps concolor
Weight: 280g  /  Length: 44cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

The Grey-bellied Squirrel is the smaller and less obvious of the two common squirrel species seen in urban environments in Malaysia - a fairly subtly coloured and drab animal that is found in various habitats right up into theheart of Kuala Lumpur itself, even in heavily managed areas.  It's diet is fairly typical of what you would expect from a squirrel including fruits, seeds, flowers and insects.

Related Species:
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Callosciurus
SUBSPECIES: C. c. adangensis, C. c. bentincanus, C. c. bimaculatus, C.c. caniceps, C. c. casensis, C. c. concolor, C. c. domelicus, C. c. epomophorus, C. c.fallax, C.c. helvus, C. c. inexpectatus, C. c. jaborensis, C. c. lancavensis, C. c. lucas, C. c. mapravis, C. c. matthaeus, C. c. moheius, C. c. mohillus, C. c. nakanus, C. c. panjioli, C. c. panjius, C. c. pipidonis, C. c. samuiensis, C. c. sullivanus, C. c. tabaudius, C. c. tacopius, C. c. talibius, C. c. terutavensis

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay: Tupai Perut Kelabu ("Grey Stomach Squirrel")

Fairly common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Fairly common in several parks in Kuala Lumpur, a single at Genting Highlands

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Variable Squirrel (Callosciurus finlaysonii)

OTHER NAMES: Finlayson's Squirrel
Latin Etymology: Callosciurus ("Beautiful squirrel") finlaysonii (for naturalist George Finlayson)

Adult Variable Squirrel (subspecies C. f. annellatus) at Angkor Wat, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Callosciurus finlaysonii anellatus
Weight: 250g  /  Length: 43-46cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern

As the name suggests, the variable squirrel has a large number of colour variations attached to different subspecies.  While the subspecies of Central Cambodia apears as seen above, they vary as much as subspecies which are entirely pale silver-grey, and a wide array of forms between in combinations of whites, greys and russets. It has been suggested that this diversity may actually represent a complex of closely related species.

Related Species:
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Callosciurus
SUBSPECIES: C. f. finlaysonii, C. f. albivexilli, C. f. folletti, C. f. frandseni, C. f. germani, C. f. harmandi, C. f. trotteri, C. f. annellatus, C. f. bocourti, C. f. boonsoni, C. f. cinnamomeus, C. f. ferrugineus, C. f. menamicus, C. f. nox, C. f. sinistralis, C. f. williamsoni

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer - ?
A fairly common resident

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: Seen at Angkor Wat

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List , RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .