Red-legged sun squirrel

The red-legged sun squirrel, Heliosciurus rufobrachium, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae native to tropical western and central Africa, from Senegal and Gambia in the west through Nigeria and the Republic of Congo to Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya in the east, though not south of the Congo River. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and moist savanna, and it is also found in plantations and gardens. It is a medium-sized squirrel about 24 centimetres long, averaging 353 grams, with dark brown to grey fur, reddish limbs and muzzle and a black tail. Twenty-one subspecies are recognised. It is diurnal and forages in the upper and middle storeys of large trees, eating mainly fruits and seeds with some green vegetation and arthropods. It is common and rated least concern by the IUCN.