Indian Palm Squirrel Information & Indian Palm Squirrel Links at HealthHaven.com

Indian Palm Squirrel
	An India Palm Squirrel photographed in Bangalore
	An Indian Palm Squirrel nest
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia;
Phylum:	Chordata;
Class:	Mammalia;
Order:	Rodentia;
Family:	Sciuridae;
Genus:	Funambulus;
Subgenus:	Funambulus;
Species:	F. palmarum;
Binomial name
	Funambulus palmarum; (Linnaeus, 1766)

The Indian Palm Squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) also known as Three-Striped Palm Squirrel, is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is found naturally in India and Sri Lanka. More recently, the Palm Squirrel has been accidentally introduced into Western Australia where it has become a minor pest that is actively eradicated due to its lack of natural predators.^[2]

[edit] Description

Palm squirrels are about the size of rats with a bushy tail which is slightly shorter than their body. Their back is a grizzled grey-brown colour with five conspicuous white stripes, three of which run from head to tail. The two outer stripes run from the forelegs to the hind legs only. They have a creamy white belly and a tail covered with interspersed long black and white hairs. Their ears are small and triangular.

[edit] Life cycle

Gestation period is 34 days. Litter size averages 2.75 (viviparous). Breeding takes place in grass nests during autumn. Litters of two or three are common. The young are weaned after about ten weeks and are sexually mature at nine months. Adult weight is 100 g. Little is known about their longevity, but one specimen lived 5.5 years in captivity.^[3]

[edit] Importance in Hinduism

The stripes on the Palm Squirrels back are explained by a Hindu legend. The legend has it that a squirrel helped in the construction of the Adi sethu (bridge) at Rameswaram. The bridge was being constructed by Lord Rama and the Vanara Sena, and the squirrel played its part by rolling in beach sand then running to the bridge to shake the sand from its back, all the time chanting Lord Rama's name. Lord Rama was pleased by the creature's dedication and, in stroking the squirrel's back, the mark of Rama's fingers was left on the squirrel ever since.^[4] This association with Lord Rama explains why squirrels are considered sacred in India.

[edit] References

^ Nameer, P. O. & Molur, S. (2008). Funambulus palmarum. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 6 January 2009.
^ Farmnote 113/2000, Government of Western Australia Department and Agriculture and Food, retrieved 8/14/2008 [1]
^ Human Ageing Genomic Resources, AnAge database, retrieved 7/30/2007 AnAge entry for Funambulus palmarum
^ Indian Striped Squirrel

Thorington, R. W. Jr. and R. S. Hoffman. 2005. Family Sciuridae. Pp. 754-818 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.

[edit] External links

Funambulus palmarum on Wikispecies

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Indian Palm Squirrel

Wikispecies has information related to: Funambulus palmarum

[iucn-0] Nameer, P. O. & Molur, S. (2008). Funambulus palmarum. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 6 January 2009.

[1] Farmnote 113/2000, Government of Western Australia Department and Agriculture and Food, retrieved 8/14/2008 [1]

[2] Human Ageing Genomic Resources, AnAge database, retrieved 7/30/2007 AnAge entry for Funambulus palmarum

[3] Indian Striped Squirrel

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

Contents

[edit] Description

[edit] Life cycle

[edit] Importance in Hinduism

[edit] References

[edit] External links