{"id":23209,"date":"2023-01-21T19:00:38","date_gmt":"2023-01-21T18:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencefocus.com\/?p=132521"},"modified":"2023-01-21T20:35:14","modified_gmt":"2023-01-21T19:35:14","slug":"what-is-a-rainbow-squirrel","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcsciencefocus\/rss_feed\/what-is-a-rainbow-squirrel\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a rainbow squirrel?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Helen Pilcher\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 21 January 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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With its chestnut bonce and flamboyant, technicolour body suit, this glam-rock rodent is certainly channelling its inner Ziggy Stardust. The aptly named \u2018rainbow squirrel\u2019, or Malabar giant squirrel, adds a welcome touch of pizzazz to the upper canopies of the forests in central and southern India.<\/p>\n

Compared to the UK\u2019s squirrels, they really are giant too. Adults weigh up to 2kg, the same as a small chihuahua, and grow up to a metre long, head to tail. They spend most of their lives off ground, leaping up to six metres between branches, and they cache their nuts and seeds in the trees, rather than on the ground.<\/p>\n

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The Indian giant squirrel, or Malabar giant squirrel, is a large tree squirrel species native to India \u00a9 Alamy<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The big question, of course, is why so bling? Surely, the squirrel\u2019s outrageous attire must act as a beacon for predators, such as crested serpent eagles and jaguars? The answer is that no one really knows. It could be a form of camouflage. Much like military fatigues, which use pattern and contrasting colour swatches to help the wearer blur into the background, so too the squirrel\u2019s contrasting colour blocks may help it to \u2018disappear\u2019 against the dappled mosaic of the forest canopy.<\/p>\n

Or maybe the getup helps the squirrel to attract a mate\u2026 by giving it the sex appeal of a rock god!<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n