Irrawaddy Squirrel (Callosciurus pygerythrus) lives in tropical rainforest across Southeast Asia. It feeds on fruits and seeds. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Irrawaddy Squirrel
- Irrawaddy squirrels stretch about as long as a school ruler, with a head-to-body length of roughly 20 cm and a tail that adds another 20 cm, making the whole animal the size of a compact lunchbox. Weighing only about 45 g, like a small deck of cards.
- These squirrels thrive across a patchwork of habitats, from lowland woods to mountains up to 1,500 m high, and they're found in five countries: Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. In Myanmar, most live west of the Irrawaddy River, showing a clear geographic preference. Their ability to live in deciduous broad-leaved woodlands, coniferous evergreen forests, mixed agricultural areas, and secondary growth forests demonstrates a flexible diet.
- The Irrawaddy squirrel's menu reads like a forest pantry: nuts, seeds, fruits, bark, lichen, and assorted vegetation make up the bulk of its diet, but it will also snap up insects and small vertebrates when the opportunity arises.
- In Myanmar the Irrawaddy squirrel is concentrated on the western side of the great river that gives it its name, a pattern that mirrors the distribution of suitable forest patches. These western habitats are a mosaic of deciduous broad-leaved woodland, coniferous evergreen forest, mixed agricultural fields and areas of secondary growth.
- It inhabits an altitude range from lowland forests up to about 1500 m in lower mountains. Within this range it occupies the deciduous broad-leaved woodlands and coniferous evergreen forests described for the species.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeSoutheast Asia
HabitatTropical rainforest
DietFruits and seeds
About the Irrawaddy Squirrel
In the lush canopies of Southeast Asia's tropical forests, the Irrawaddy squirrel dances with reckless abandon, its rusty-red fur a vibrant splash against the emerald backdrop as it leaps with effortless precision from branch to branch. With a twitch of its tufted ears and a flick of its bushy tail, this agile creature navigates its arboreal realm with a joyful exuberance, its very presence a testament to the unbridled vitality of the natural world. As it pauses to gaze out upon its kingdom, the Irrawaddy squirrel's bright, inquisitive eyes shine like polished onyx, radiating a sense of unguarded wonder.
Hear the Irrawaddy Squirrel, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
