Wildlifeof Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan Giant Squirrel
Squirrels & Rodents
Photo: melianie_max_and_asker · CC BY 4.0 (May be cropped or resized)
Ratufa macroura
Basic stats
Diet
Fruits, nuts, insects, bird eggs and tree bark
Habitat
Forest, rainforest and scrub forest; almost completely arboreal
Litter size
1-2 young
Gestation period
About 28 days (estimated)
Size
25-45cm body, tail equal or longer
The giant squirrel has a grizzled grey or brownish-grey tail with white highlights, and body colour that varies from brown and red to grey and black. It is almost completely arboreal, active in the morning and early evening, territorial, and lives alone or in pairs. It builds a large eagle-like nest in the breeding season, and litters are one or two (Animal Diversity Web, for the species across its range in India and Sri Lanka).
In Sri Lanka the species has three subspecies, with darker animals in the wet zone, and it is often labelled a pest. Prof. Sampath Seneviratne says deforestation has pushed giant squirrels onto farmland and that fewer predators lets them spread (The Sunday Times, Sri Lanka, January 2025). Nationally Least Concern (Sri Lanka National Red List 2012).
Quick answers
- What does the Sri Lankan Giant Squirrel eat?
- Fruits, nuts, insects, bird eggs and tree bark
- What habitat does the Sri Lankan Giant Squirrel live in?
- Forest, rainforest and scrub forest; almost completely arboreal
- What is the litter size of the Sri Lankan Giant Squirrel?
- 1-2 young
- How long is the gestation period of the Sri Lankan Giant Squirrel?
- About 28 days (estimated)
- How big is the Sri Lankan Giant Squirrel?
- 25-45cm body, tail equal or longer