Giant squirrels (Ratufa spp.) are flagship canopy mammals of South and Southeast Asian forests. They are large (compared with most squirrels), strictly arboreal, conspicuous, and important seed dispersers and canopy engineers. Their presence indicates tall, connected forests with fruiting trees and complex structure — the same forests Tropic Trails guides take nature-lovers into. Despite being showy, their local populations can be fragile because they need large trees and continuous canopy. Several regional populations / subspecies show worrying declines even while the species-level listing can look reassuring.
1. Indian Giant Squirrel — Ratufa indica (Erxleben, 1777)
The true “Malabar / Indian” giant squirrel — strictly peninsular Indian, but strongly variable across its north–south range.
Overview / status (species level): R. indica is endemic to peninsular India and is listed as Least Concern at the global species level by IUCN — but that status masks strong regional differences and threatened subspecies/populations. In plain terms: the species as a whole still survives in multiple places, but certain subspecies are tiny, declining or possibly gone.
Subspecies commonly recognised (used in field guides and regional literature)
The four widely cited subspecies are R. i. indica, R. i. centralis, R. i. dealbata and R. i. maxima (dates of original description commonly cited: indica 1777, centralis 1913, dealbata 1897, maxima 1784). Taxonomists debate boundaries of these subspecies, but they remain useful for field identification and conservation discussion.
A. Ratufa indica indica(nominate)
Distribution: Northern and central Western Ghats — roughly from the Mumbai / Konkan region into northern Karnataka and adjacent hills.
Habitat: Moist deciduous to semi-evergreen forests with tall emergent trees and intact canopy.
Size: Head-and-body ~34–45 cm; tail ~38–49 cm; weight typically about 0.9–2.3 kg (species range; nominate sits in mid-range).
Distinguishing features: Rich maroon/reddish upperparts, pale (buff/white) tail tip; multi-toned face and cream underparts.
Diet: Fruits, seeds, flowers, shoots, bark, occasional bird eggs and insects; forages in canopy using hands for handling.
Current status: Locally common in protected forests with good canopy; sensitive to fragmentation and logging.
B. Ratufa indica centralis
Distribution: Central India and parts of the eastern peninsular hills — Satpura and some Eastern Ghats pockets.
Habitat: Mixed deciduous and semi-evergreen patches where tall trees persist.
Size & features: Slightly smaller, often darker shoulders and darker tail (but with variable patterns). Coloration is generally duller than nominate.
Diet & ecology: Similar omnivorous canopy diet; nests in large branch forks and cavities; territories include multiple nests.
Current status: Fragmented; local populations can be vulnerable where canopy connectivity breaks.
C. Ratufa indica dealbata (Blanford, 1897) — the pale Dang form
Distribution: Historically confined to the northernmost fringe of the Western Ghats — Dangs and southern Gujarat.
Habitat: Drier, teak-dominated deciduous/dry-evergreen patches on the Ghats fringe.
Size & features: Pale, creamy buff overall — the palest of the Indian forms; tail light/whitish.
Diet: Same general diet as other subspecies but adapted to fruiting species in drier forests.Current status (critical): This is the alarming bit: dealbata is probably functionally extinct in its historical range — modern surveys have repeatedly failed to re-find it and some specialist sources list it as missing or possibly extinct. This is an example of how a species-level “Least Concern” masks severe regional loss. If you highlight only the species page on your blog, make sure you warn readers that some subspecies (notably dealbata) may already be locally lost.
D. Ratufa indica maxima (Schreber, 1784)
Distribution: Southern Western Ghats — Kerala and Tamil Nadu hill forests.
Habitat: Moist evergreen and wet semi-evergreen forests with tall canopy and dense midstorey.
Size & features: Among the larger forms (hence ‘maxima’); often darker (more black on shoulders/rump) and an almost entirely dark tail in some individuals.
Diet & ecology: Relies on high-diversity fruiting trees; builds multiple globular nests and has larger home ranges in fragmented habitat.
Current status: Populations persist in protected southern Ghats but are vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and selective logging.
2. Black (Malayan) Giant Squirrel — Ratufa bicolor (Sparrman, 1778)
Wider SE Asian distribution but reaching parts of northeast India and the Indo-Burma region.
Overview / status: R. bicolor (often called Black or Malayan giant squirrel) has multiple regional subspecies across SE Asia. The species is assessed as Near Threatened in many local assessments because of loss of lowland rainforests, conversion to plantations and hunting pressure in parts of its range. It is not an endemic Indian species but is relevant to northeast India (Assam / Arunachal fringe) where it occurs in appropriate forest types.
Commonly referenced subspecies
Field guides list numerous subspecies across the range (e.g., R. b. bicolor, R. b. gigantea, R. b. melanopepla, etc.), reflecting broad phenotypic and geographic variation. These subspecies are mostly SE Asian and indicate the species’ adaptability to varying habitats within the Indomalayan region.
Distribution (India): Northeastern India and adjacent foothill forests where the species’ broad range reaches into Indian territory.
Habitat: Lowland and montane dipterocarp forest, moist evergreen and hill forests; tolerates disturbed forest less well than some smaller squirrels.
Size: Large; head-and-body similar to R. indica although proportions and coat pattern differ — overall length including tail often >70–90 cm in big individuals.
Distinguishing features: Most forms show a darker (black or chocolate) upper body with contrasting pale underparts or face patterns depending on subspecies; many forms have striking bicolour patterns (hence the Latin bicolor).
Diet: Fruits, seeds, flowers, occasional insects — strict arboreal forager.
Current status: Declining in many unprotected lowland forests; Near Threatened regionally due to habitat loss and hunting.
3. Grizzled / Sri Lankan Giant Squirrel — Ratufa macroura (Pennant, 1769)
Found in Sri Lanka and in fragmented pockets in southern India — it’s the “grizzled” giant squirrel, with distinct highland and lowland forms and clear conservation concern.
Overview / status: R. macroura (grizzled giant squirrel, commonly “Sri Lankan giant squirrel” for the Sri Lankan subspecies) has a disjunct distribution: highland Sri Lanka populations and scattered populations in the Kaveri riparian forests and hill forests of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is listed as Near Threatened and is nationally more threatened in India where populations are small and isolated.
Recognised subspecies
Literature commonly recognizes subspecies such as R. m. macroura, R. m. dandolena and R. m. melanochra, with India typically harbouring the dandolena or similar forms in southern riparian/adjacent hill forests. These subspecies reflect habitat differences between Sri Lankan highland forms and south Indian lowland/hill remnants.
Distribution (India & Sri Lanka): Sri Lanka (central highlands and some lowland forests); in India — isolated patches along the Kaveri, and hill forests of the southern Western Ghats (southern Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala).
Habitat: Highland montane forests in Sri Lanka; riparian gallery forest and hill forest fragments in India.
Size: Large squirrel — comparable in body/tail length to other Ratufa species but variable by subspecies/region.
Distinguishing features: Grizzled or banded pelage (mix of grey/white/black), often with a paler underbody and distinctly patterned fur that sets it apart from the maroon/dark patterns of R. indica.
Diet: Fruit, flowers, seeds, bark and occasional invertebrates — arboreal foraging in canopy and riparian corridors.
Current status: Near Threatened globally but in India it is of higher concern due to extremely small, fragmented populations — some national assessments list Indian populations as endangered. Habitat loss and hunting are primary threats.
Ecology — common threads across the three species
Arboreal specialists: All three are strictly canopy dwellers, rarely descending to the ground except to cross gaps or visit large fruiting trees. They depend on large, tall trees for nesting and food.
Diet: Broadly omnivorous on plant material — fruits, nuts, flowers, young shoots and bark — plus opportunistic invertebrate or egg consumption in some populations. Their feeding ecology makes them important seed dispersers and occasional pollinators.
Nesting & social behaviour: They build globular or platform nests in canopy forks, often maintain multiple nests in a territory, and show strong site fidelity. Nest trees and structural forest complexity are limiting resources.
Conservation notes — the paradox: species vs population risk
Species-level listings are blunt instruments. IUCN assessments at the species level often show Least Concern or Near Threatened, yet many local subspecies and isolated populations are highly at risk (for example R. i. dealbata being possibly extinct in Gujarat). This mismatch is exactly why regionally focused conservation messaging matters.
Primary threats: Habitat loss (logging, conversion to plantations, agriculture), fragmentation of canopy (which isolates populations), hunting for food/folk use in some regions, and reduction in fruiting tree diversity.
Conservation actions that work: Protecting large canopy tracts, preserving keystone fruiting and nest trees, creating canopy corridors between forest patches, and targeted surveys to clarify distribution and genetic distinctness of subspecies (e.g., dealbata surveys). Local community engagement and forest protection are critical.
