Grizzled Giant Squirrel
Encyclopedia
The grizzled giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura) is a large tree squirrel
in the genus Ratufa found in the highlands
of the Central and Uva
provinces of Sri Lanka
, and in patches of riparian forest
along the Kaveri River
and in the hill forests
in the Tamil Nadu
and Kerala
states of southern India
. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as near threatened
due to habitat loss and hunting.
There are three subspecies, all of which are found in Sri Lanka. The subspecies R. m. dandolena (taken from the Sinhalese language name for the squirrel, dhandu laena) is also found in India.
Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary
is located in Srivilliputtur, Tamil Nadu
, India.
R. macroura is the smallest of the giant squirrels
found in the Indian subcontinent, with a head and body length of 25 to 45 cm (9.8 to 17.7 in), and tail measuring roughly the same or more), for a total length of 50 to 90 cm (19.7 to 35.4 in). It has small rounded ears with pointed tufts.
The table below lists the three recognized subspecies of Ratufa macroura, along with any synonyms associated with each subspecies:
Tree squirrel
Tree squirrels include over a hundred species that are found on all continents except Antarctica, and are the members of the squirrel family most commonly referred to as "squirrels"...
in the genus Ratufa found in the highlands
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
of the Central and Uva
Uva Province
Uva is Sri Lanka's second least populated province, with 1,187,335 people, created in 1896. It consists of two districts: Badulla බදුල්ල பதுளை and Moneragala මොනරාගල மொனராகல. The provincial capital is Badulla. Uva is bordered by Eastern, Southern and Central provinces...
provinces of Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and in patches of riparian forest
Riparian forest
A riparian forest is a forested area of land adjacent to a body of water such as a river, stream, pond, lake, marshland, estuary, canal, sink or reservoir. -Etymology:...
along the Kaveri River
Kaveri River
The Kaveri , also spelled Cauvery in English, is a large Indian river. The origin of the river is traditionally placed at Talakaveri, Kodagu in the Western Ghats in Karnataka, flows generally south and east through Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and across the southern Deccan plateau through the...
and in the hill forests
Cloud forest
A cloud forest, also called a fog forest, is a generally tropical or subtropical evergreen montane moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud cover, usually at the canopy level. Cloud forests often exhibit an abundance of mosses covering the ground and...
in the Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
and Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
states of southern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species as near threatened
Near Threatened
Near Threatened is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa that may be considered threatened with extinction in the near future, although it does not currently qualify for the threatened status...
due to habitat loss and hunting.
There are three subspecies, all of which are found in Sri Lanka. The subspecies R. m. dandolena (taken from the Sinhalese language name for the squirrel, dhandu laena) is also found in India.
Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary
Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary
The Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary was declared to protect the Vulnerable Grizzled Giant Squirrel . It is one of the best preserved forests south of the Palghat Gap....
is located in Srivilliputtur, Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, India.
R. macroura is the smallest of the giant squirrels
Oriental giant squirrel
Oriental giant squirrels are very large tree squirrels from the genus Ratufa in the subfamily Ratufinae. They are a distinctive element of the fauna of south and southeast Asia.There are four living species of oriental giant squirrels:...
found in the Indian subcontinent, with a head and body length of 25 to 45 cm (9.8 to 17.7 in), and tail measuring roughly the same or more), for a total length of 50 to 90 cm (19.7 to 35.4 in). It has small rounded ears with pointed tufts.
The table below lists the three recognized subspecies of Ratufa macroura, along with any synonyms associated with each subspecies:
| Subspecies | Authority | Synonyms |
|---|---|---|
| R. m. macroura | Pennant (1769) | albipes, ceilonensis, ceylonica, macrura, montana, tennentii |
| R. m. dandolena | Thomas and Wroughton (1915) | sinhala |
| R. m. melanochra | Thomas and Wroughton (1915) | none |