As of: February 3, 2024, 2:12 p.m
By: Sophie Kluß
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The Indian giant squirrel is a record holder.
But it's not its size that's most fascinating.
The reason for his colorful fur is still a secret.
The Indian giant squirrel, also known as the king giant squirrel, is considered the largest squirrel in the world - and is even listed as such by
Guinness World Records
.
It grows
up to a meter long and weighs up to two kilograms, according to
LiveScience , an online science news magazine.
For comparison: The squirrels native to Germany have an average body length of 40 to 45 centimeters and weigh between 200 and 400 grams.
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Rainbow Squirrel: Purple, orange and red give rodents its nickname
But the tree dwellers impress not only with their extraordinary size, but also with the colorful play of colors on their fur.
Its colorful shades are the reason why the rodent is also called the rainbow squirrel or rainbow squirrel.
"Although the Indian giant squirrel's belly and arms are creamy beige, the rest of their fur is a bit more edgy—with shades of orange, purple, and red," writes Megan Shersby, a naturalist and wildlife author, at
LiveScience
.
Scientists still don't agree on why the squirrels are so colorful.
One theory is that their colorful fur coats could be used for camouflage in the forests.
According to
National Geographic
, the bigleaf forests where the squirrel lives create a mosaic-like pattern of sunspots and shadows during the day that resembles the animals' fur markings.
The colorful fur of the Indian giant squirrel is probably used to camouflage from predators.
© Pond5 Images/Imago
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Profile: Indian giant squirrel or king giant squirrel
Other names:
Malabar giant squirrel (Ratufa indica), nickname: rainbow squirrel
Habitat:
in the forests of India
Diet:
Fruits, leaves, flowers, bark, nuts, seeds, occasionally bird eggs and insects
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The Indian giant squirrel lives as a solitary animal high up in the trees and builds round nests there, so-called dreys.
The rodents support their nests using forks of branches that they intertwine with climbing plants.
These are then comfortably padded with leaves.
Unlike many species of squirrels, rainbow squirrels do not store their food on the ground, but in the treetops.
Enthusiasm on the Internet: People are fascinated by the Indian giant squirrel
As
National Geographic
reports, an amateur photographer's photos of an Indian giant squirrel caused a stir on
in 2019 .
Apparently some users couldn't believe that the rodents really existed.
“This was partly due to their unusual coat color, with black and cream areas alternating with dark, plum areas,” the magazine writes.
A squirrel asking for help touches the
TikTok
community.
While a wildlife biologist confirmed the rich fur color in the snapshots, an evolutionary biologist suspected that the
images may have been edited.
Users are also very enthusiastic about
LiveSciene
's squirrel post
on
Facebook .
One user writes that she is grateful that these animals still exist.
Numerous others are also amazed at the extraordinary coloring of the Indian giant squirrel.