Mother Nature is an amazing artist! She can create the most unusual living beings and oftentimes leave us in awe. But, who would have thought that a squirrel can catch our eye? Well, Mother Nature took care of it as well.
Meet the Malabar giant squirrel. This peculiar little fella is native to India and will leave you with your eyes wide open when you see it!
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Wish you had this in your backyard, don’t you?
Their unique fur can range in different shades like brown and orange, and maroon and purple, which are colors rarely found in mammals.
Even though it seems like these colors make them more susceptible to predators, it is quite the opposite!
“In the shaded understory of a dense forest, the patchy colors and dark hues are a great adaptation to avoiding detection,” squirrel expert John Koprowski told The Dodo.
“But when you see these in the sunlight, they show their ‘true colors’ and beautiful pelage.”
As if being the most colorful squirrel in the world isn’t enough, they are the largest too! Their head and body can grow from 10 inches to 1 foot 8 inches, with an even longer tail.
Despite their unique colors, it’s very tough to spot one. They spend most of their day hopping from tree to tree, rarely coming down. And they are very shy.
While deforestation is a serious concern, John Koprowski says these squirrels always find a way of surviving.
“They have a wide distribution and seem to tolerate human presence and even some modest level of low-density housing,” he told The Dodo.
“They’re part of a group of squirrels that is pretty ancient. They’re a unique evolutionary group that’s been here a long time, which is a good thing.”
