Prevost’s Squirrel: Food And Habitat
Also known as the “Asian tricolor squirrel”, the prevost squirrel is a rodent with several subspecies. In this article, we’ll share a lot of interesting information about it.
Prevost Squirrel Characteristics, Feeding and Habitat
The prevost squirrel, whose scientific name is Callosciurus prevostii , is a rodent that belongs to the Sciuridae family . It inhabits the forests of Southeast Asia and can be found on the peninsula of Thailand and Malaysia, Borneo, Sumatra and smaller islands in the region.
In addition, there is a large family of this squirrel that was introduced by man into northern Sulawesi (Indonesia).
As for food, the prevost squirrel has a very varied diet, consisting of fruits, nuts, seeds, sprouts, flowers, insects and even small bird eggs. It also complements your diet with fruits from trees of the durio family or soursops.
They are solitary animals that build their nests in trees using plant material, and each breeding season the females can give birth to between one and five young.
Another highlight of the prevost squirrel is that it is one of the most colorful mammals in the world, especially the subspecies that live in the Thai and Malay peninsula. This is because, although the back and tail are black on top, the belly and lower areas have orange, red, and white fur.
The prevost squirrel family
Within this large family of colorful rodents known as Callosciurus , we can find 15 species and 300 subspecies. They all live in Southeast Asia, and although they prefer woods or rainforests, they can also be seen in city parks and gardens.
In addition, they all ‘coincid’ in their small size: they are no more than 25 centimeters of body, plus another 25 centimeters of tail.
We’ve already talked about the prevost squirrel, but we can also mention other representatives of the Callosciurus family :
1. Finlayson’s Squirrel
Its scientific name is Callosciurus Finlaysonii and it is common in Indochina, specifically Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand. Furthermore, it was introduced in Italy and prefers woods, open forests and coconut trees.
It has diurnal and arboreal habits, and it feeds on seeds and fruits. In times of scarcity, it feeds on the bark of conifers and deciduous trees, causing significant damage. Finlayson’s squirrel is brown with cream hues on the belly, measuring about 22 centimeters plus 24 centimeters of tail. It weighs a maximum of 250 grams.
2. Banana Squirrel
Also known as eastern squirrel ( Callosciurus notatus ), it is found in Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. It can live in mangroves, forests, parks, gardens and fields, being considered a pest by farmers.
The banana squirrel measures a maximum of 30 centimeters – plus another 30 centimeters of tail – and spends most of its time between the trees: it passes from one to the other taking great leaps. It feeds on leaves, fruits, insects and bird eggs. It has the ability to consume large fruits such as coconut and mango.
3. Pallas Squirrel
This rodent, whose scientific name is Callosciurus erythraeus , is native to India, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indochina and Malacca. Furthermore, since the 1970s it has been introduced in Argentina, and the European Union considers it an invasive alien species of concern.
Like the prevost squirrel, the other members of its family have quite striking fur, which they can even use to camouflage themselves in trees when they see fit.
