''Callosciurus'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae (), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrel ...

s collectively referred to as the "''beautiful squirrels''". They are found mainly in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

, though a few species also occur in

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

, northeastern

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

and southern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. Several of the species have settled on islands. In total, the genus contains 15 species and numerous varieties and subspecies. The genera '' Glyphotes'', '' Rubrisciurus'', and '' Tamiops'' have sometimes been included in ''Callosciurus''.

Species

There are approximately 15 species in this genus, and over 60 subspecies. These squirrels range in length from , not including the tail which is often about the same length as the body.Payne, J., and C. M. Francis (1985), ''A Field Guide to the Mammals of Borneo.'' Most are rather dull

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...

-brown to gray and several have a pale and dark stripe on their side, however a few are very colorful.Francis, C. M. (2008). ''A Guide to the Mammals of Southeast Asia.'' The Pallas's squirrel may have an olive-gray back, while its belly is often –but not always– bright red.Smith, T. S., and Y. Xie, editors (2008). ''A Guide to the Mammals of China.'' The "typical" subspecies of Prevost's squirrels have black backs, white sides, and red-brown undersides. The Finlayson's squirrel occurs in numerous varieties, three of which are overall red-brown, overall black, or pure white. Most squirrels in ''Callosciurus'' live in tropical rain forests, but some individuals live in parks and gardens in cities. In the trees, they build their nests out of plant material. They are solitary, and give birth to one to five young. Their food consists of nuts, fruits, and seeds, and also of insects and bird eggs.

References

Sources

* Ronald M. Nowak: ''Walker's Mammals of the World''. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999
Ecology Asia page with photos and description

External links

Photo gallery showing some of the variations of the Gray-bellied Squirrel

Photo gallery showing some of the variations of Finlayson's Squirrel

at ecologyasia.com

at wildsingapore.per.sg {{Authority control Rodent genera Articles containing video clips Taxa named by John Edward Gray nl:Prevosts klapperrat