''Callosciurus'' is a genus of

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

s collectively referred to as the "''beautiful squirrels''". They are found mainly in Southeast Asia, though a few species also occur in Nepal, northeastern India, Bangladesh and southern

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. Several of the species have settled on islands. In total, the genus contains 15 species and numerous varieties and subspecies. The genera ''

Glyphotes The sculptor squirrel or Bornean pygmy squirrel (''Glyphotes simus'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It was described by Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas in 1898. It is monotypic within the genus ''Glyphotes''. It is endemic to Mal ...

'', ''

Rubrisciurus The red-bellied squirrel or Sulawesi giant squirrel (''Rubrisciurus rubriventer'') is a species of squirrel. Until recently, it was described as a species in the genus ''Callosciurus'', but since the 1990s it is generally placed in its own genu ...

'', 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'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

-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 Pallas's squirrel (''Callosciurus erythraeus''), also known as the red-bellied tree squirrel, is a species of squirrel native to Greater China, India, and Southeast Asia. Description Pallas's squirrel is a medium-sized tree squirrel, with ...

may have an unremarkable 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

* 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 {{Taxonbar, from=Q858515 Rodent genera Articles containing video clips Taxa named by John Edward Gray nl:Prevosts klapperrat