''Callosciurus'' is a genus of
squirrels collectively referred to as the "''beautiful squirrels''". They are found mainly in
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
, though a few species also occur in
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
, northeastern
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
and southern
China.
Several of the species have settled on islands. In total, the genus contains 15 species and numerous varieties and subspecies.
[ The genera '' Glyphotes'', '' Rubrisciurus'', and '' Tamiops'' have sometimes been included in ''Callosciurus''.
]
Species
There are approximately 15 species in this genus,[ and over 60 subspecies. These squirrels range in length from , not including the tail which is often about the same length as the body.][Payne, J., and C. M. Francis (1985), ''A Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo.'' ] Most are rather dull olive-brown to gray and several have a pale and dark stripe on their side, however a few are very colorful.[Francis, C. M. (2008). ''A Guide to the Mammals of Southeast Asia.'' ] The Pallas's squirrel may have an unremarkable olive-gray back, while its belly is often –but not always– bright red.[Smith, T. S., and Y. Xie, editors (2008). ''A Guide to the Mammals of China.'' ] The "typical" subspecies of Prevost's squirrels have black backs, white sides, and red-brown undersides. The Finlayson's squirrel occurs in numerous varieties, three of which are overall red-brown, overall black, or pure white.[
Most squirrels in ''Callosciurus'' live in ]tropical rain forest
Tropical rainforests are rainforests that occur in areas of tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season – all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm – and may also be referred to as ''lowland equatori ...
s, but some individuals live in parks and gardens in cities. In the trees, they build their nests out of plant material. They are solitary, and give birth to one to five young. Their food consists of nuts, fruits, and seeds, and also of insects and bird eggs.
References
* Ronald M. Nowak: ''Walker's Mammals of the World''. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999
Ecology Asia page with photos and description
External links
Photo gallery showing some of the variations of the Gray-bellied Squirrel
Photo gallery showing some of the variations of Finlayson's Squirrel
at ecologyasia.com
at wildsingapore.per.sg
{{Taxonbar, from=Q858515
Rodent genera
Articles containing video clips
Taxa named by John Edward Gray
nl:Prevosts klapperrat