Andean squirrel

The Andean squirrel (Sciurus pucheranii) is a small tree squirrel found only in Colombia. It lives in montane rain forest and cloud forest on the Cordillera Occidental and Cordillera Central ranges of the Colombian Andes, at elevations of roughly 2,000 to 3,300 metres, where it moves among Cecropia trees, palms and tree ferns. An adult has a body length of about 14 centimetres and a tail of 12 to 16 centimetres, and the few recorded weights fall between about 100 and 140 grams. Its soft, silky fur is reddish-brown above and greyish-yellow below, with a darker tail, and some animals carry a dark stripe along the flank or a black patch on the back of the head. It resembles the Eastern grey squirrel in proportion but is much smaller. It is thought to be active by day, though little has been studied about its habits, and the IUCN lists it as Data Deficient.