Plantain squirrel

The plantain squirrel, also called the oriental squirrel or tricoloured squirrel, Callosciurus notatus, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. It lives in a wide range of habitats, including forests, mangroves, parks, gardens and agricultural areas, and fruit farmers regard it as a pest. Its body is about 20 to 30 centimetres long with a tail of similar length, and it weighs roughly 160 to 259 grams. It is greyish brown with a chestnut belly and a black and white stripe on each side, which separates it from the black-striped squirrel, whose belly is grey. It is diurnal, quick in the trees, and eats mostly leaves and fruit along with insects and bird eggs. Females give birth after about 40 days of gestation to one to four young.