Indian giant squirrels are typically diurnal—meaning they forage for food in the early morning and evening, and lounge around the treetops during the hottest parts of the day.
Their favourite foods include fruits, flowers, nuts, bark, bird eggs, and bugs!
By nightfall, they tuck themselves into their nests and sleep for the night.
Their nests are elaborately constructed, globe-like structures made of twigs and leaves, making them just as unique as the squirrels themselves!
Each squirrel will build and maintain multiple nests (sometimes as many as 5) to give them easy access to shelter when travelling across their large territories.
However, only one of these nests will be used to raise their young.
Confusingly, baby Malabar squirrels can be called pups, kits, or kittens.
They’re typically born in groups—called a dray or scurry—of 1 to 3 kittens.
Within six months, the young will be mostly independent and start to establish their own territories.
They’re not particularly social, so once they’re grown, they’ll spend most of their time alone.
Their populations are healthy, and they are widespread throughout their homeland forests. However, they’re pretty shy, so catching a peek of one in person could be tricky!
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