Prevost's Squirrel
Callosciurus prevostii
- Habitat: dense tropical rainforests in south-est Asia
- Range: Indonesia, Malaysia
- Natural Diet: fruits, seeds, nuts, bird eggs
- Status in the Wild: Common
Fun Facts
- Prevost’s squirrels are black and white with bright orange undersides. Their coat colors help them camouflage and hide from their predators
- They practice an arboreal lifestyle using their tails for balance. Their claws and toes help them hold onto to tree branches
- They live either solitarily or in small family groups
- They emit a high pitched vocalization called an "alarm call" that alerts their family and other prey in the presence of the predator
- They build nests out of leaves, twigs, and branches in trees. Young are delivered in these nests
Conservation Threats
The major threats are:
- Habitat loss, agricultural practices, conversion for forests to plantations, and logging trees for firewood.
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Illegal hunting and trapping also has a detrimental effect on their wild numbers