Even though we've all seen squirrels, you have probably never seen one like this. John Koprowski is an expert on squirrels and an associate director at the University of Arizona's School of Natural Resources and the Environment. When he saw the Malabar giant squirrel, he was amazed and interested. This squirrel is from India and is also called the Indian giant squirrel or Shekou.
The animal looks more like a monkey than a squirrel because of its vast body, almost 3 feet long. When John was in India, he saw this beautiful squirrel. The Malabar giant squirrel is unique and exciting not just because of its size but also because of the colours of its body. John said, "These are big people." The eastern grey squirrel is half the size of the giant squirrel, and the large squirrel is not like any other squirrel we see every day.
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They have black, brown, orange, maroon, and even purple fur. The purple and maroon colors are unusual, making the creature look like it came from another planet. Their bright colors aren't just for show; they help them stay alive in the wild and blend in with the forest canopy. When they live in dense forests, these giant squirrels can hide from predators like leopards by having dark and patchy colors.
When they come out into the sunlight, you can see their true colours, and trust me; it's a sight to behold. The Malabar giant squirrel eats flowers, nuts, fruit, bird eggs, bugs, and tree bark. The squirrel doesn't spend much time on the ground because it lives high up in the tree canopy.
These animals jump from tree to tree and sometimes jump more than 20 feet. The Malabar giant squirrel is not in danger of going extinct right now, which is good news. They do, however, need to be protected from people who hunt them for their beautiful fur. It's not easy to find this animal because you have to go deep into the forests of Eastern or Southern India to see it.
