When most of us think of a squirrel, we picture a small, twitchy, grey or brown critter darting across a park lawn to bury an acorn. But deep in the deciduous and evergreen forests of India lives a squirrel that looks like it leapt straight out of a fantasy novel: the Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica), also known as the Malabar giant squirrel. If you haven't seen one yet, prepare to have your idea of squirrels completely rewritten.
As the name suggests, this is not a pocket-sized rodent. The Indian giant squirrel can measure up to 3 feet (nearly 1 meter) long from nose to the tip of its massive, bushy tail, and weigh up to 2 kilograms. Despite their size, they are masters of the high wire. They spend almost their entire lives high up in the trees, rarely coming down to the ground. They are incredibly agile and can leap distances of up to 20 feet (6 meters) between trees, using their long tails for balance.
Currently, the Indian giant squirrel is listed as a species of "Least Concern," which is great news. However, because they are so dependent on contiguous, high-canopy forests, they are highly sensitive to habitat fragmentation and deforestation. To protect these technicolor acrobats, we have to protect the old-growth forests they call home.
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