Hoary Bellied Squirrel

Description:

This widely distributed species is present in northeastern South Asia, southern China and western Southeast Asia. In South Asia, this species is widely distributed in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal at elevations of 500 to 1,560 m asl (Molur et al. 2005). In China, it has been recorded from southern Yunnan (Smith and Xie 2008). In Southeast Asia, it is largely confined to western and central Myanmar.

Habitat:

In general, this is a diurnal and arboreal species that occupies mid canopy temperate, tropical and subtropical moist forest with thick to moderate evergreen forest patches (Molur et al. 2005). In Nepal, it has been reported from riverine woodland (Shrestha pers. comm.). It appear to be tolerant of some habitat modification. In Bangladesh and China the species has been recorded from gardens, plantations (including bananas) and cane shrubs (Sarkar pers. comm. and Smith and Xie 2008). The species reproduces once each year, with a litter size averaging three to four young (Smith and Xie 2008).

Notes:

In South Asia, this species is threatened by habitat loss resulting from shifting agriculture, small-scale and selective logging, clear cutting of forest, the establishment of human settlements, forest fires, and hunting for local consumption (Molur et al. 2005). In China, it is generally threatened by habitat loss (Wang, Zheng, and Kobayashi 1989). The species is used for medicinal purposes in Nepal (Sarker pers. comm.). The threats in Southeast Asia are not known.