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Order : RODENTIA
Family : Sciuridae
Species : Ratufa affinis
Head-Body Length : Up to 38 cm
Tail Length : Up to 44 cm
Weight : Up to 1.5 kg
The Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel is
perhaps the most
attractive of all the larger squirrels in Southeast Asia. With a head-body
length of up to 38 cm, and a tail reaching 44 cm, it is only eclipsed in size
by the Black Giant Squirrel.
This squirrel inhabits
primary rainforest, and appears unable to adapt to over-logged
secondary forest. It is diurnal and remains mostly in the forest canopy, but
like many squirrels cannot resist raiding nearby cultivated areas in search
of ripe fruits. Its natural diet includes forest seeds, leaves and bark.
The nest is a spherical
arrangement of twigs built in the crown of tall trees.
Various subspecies are
recognised, but the original pale form first described on Singapore Island
in 1822 by Sir Stamford Raffles, Ratufa affinis affinis, now appears extinct in that country (although
it still survives in Peninsular Malaysia and elsewhere). This subspecies becomes darker in the
more northerly parts of Peninsula Malaysia and southern Thailand, as well
as in Borneo.
The subspecies illustrated
in Figures 3 and 4 (R. a. baramensis) inhabits northeast Borneo, including
Sabah. It is easily recognised by its large size, dark upperparts, pale
underparts and orange cheeks and throat.
The Cream-coloured Giant
Squirrel (including its darker cousins) occurs in southern Myanmar,
southern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra (including the Riau
Archipelago) and Borneo. In Singapore it is probably extinct.
Fig 1 : Example from lowland forest in Taman Negara, Peninsular Malaysia. This is the
nominate subspecies Ratufa affinis affinis.
Figs 2 and 3 : Examples from Panti Forest, Johor in southern Peninsular Malaysia. The adult
female was seen consuming flowers of a species of Polyalthia (Mongoon
sp.).
Fig 4 : Adult male Cream-coloured Giant Squirrel
(subspecies Ratufa affinis baramensis) in typical resting posture
with tail hanging down. Photographed at Danum Valley, Sabah, Borneo.
Fig 5 : Lying horizontally on a thick branch - this is a
less typical resting posture.
References : M2, M3, M5
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