These Colorful, Giant Squirrels Are The Most Beautiful Rodents You’ve Ever Seen

Aug 28, 2018

Not all squirrels are grey or brown. Some have gorgeous coloring and a very large size. The Malabar squirrel uses treetops to build their nests and avoids detection with natural camouflage. They are in danger of extinction due to the destruction of their natural habitats. These squirrels are sensational sources for photographers due to their exquisite coloration. 

You have probably never thought about a squirrel as being beautiful. Most of them are either brown or grey and they are classified as rodents. You would change your mind if you saw the Malabar giant squirrel. This squirrel is up to 36 inches in length and also referred to as the Indian giant squirrel. They are better than double the size of the common squirrels you see in the United States. Malabar squirrels are impressive mostly because of the beauty of their multicolored fur. This includes hues of brown, black, maroon, orange and purple. 

The Life of the Indian Giant Squirrel

The Indian giant squirrel usually lives in either southern or eastern India. Their camouflage makes them very difficult to see. They also enjoy hopping between the trees. The Ecoscience journal released a study in 2007 revealing these squirrels build nests in the treetops where they hoard their seeds. The associate director and a professor at the School of Natural Resources located at the University of Arizona is John Koprowski. He is an expert on squirrels and saw his first Malabar squirrel in 2006 when he traveled to India. 

The squirrel was located in the shade of a very dense forest. The dark hues and patchy colors are natures way of helping the Indian giant squirrel avoid detection. Once John Koprowski saw the squirrel in the sunlight, the beautiful fur and true colors were revealed. It was difficult to believe these colors could possibly have come from nature. 

The Endangered Species

This squirrel is on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's list because they are facing the danger of extinction. Their population has been steadily declining because their forest habitats are being destroyed. Protection laws are necessary to help ensure they thrive as time passes. The colors of these squirrels are so gorgeous, people have become inspired to used them as inspiration for dying their hair sensational new colors. This occurred after a photograph of a Malabar giant squirrel was seen after being taken in Kerala's Anchankovil forest. These creatures are not only inspiring, they are not afraid of humans.

This video of one of these squirrels eating a cookie is charming:

Chances are you were unaware of the existence of the Malabar squirrel before you read this post. Everyone will enjoy learning about this colorful and fascinating squirrel.