THE GIANT SQUIRREL (Ratufa indica) IN SIMILIPAL TIGER RESERVE, ORISSA, INDIA

摘要

The genus Ratufa is an Indo-Malayan taxon of four species of tree squirrels (Order Rodentia, Family Sciuridae, Sub-family Sciurinae). There are about 121 species of tree squirrels, including the giant and pigmy squirrels (Moore, 1959). Ellerman (1940) reports that sixteen genera and about 56 species of tree and ground squirrels occur in the oriental region. Tropical Asia contains the most diverse squirrel fauna of any other region in the world. The Malabar or Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica) occurs in Peninsular India.