Callosciurus finlaysonii
Silhouette: Kai Caspar · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
Finlayson's squirrel or the variable squirrel (Callosciurus finlaysonii) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It has numerous subspecies that vary greatly in appearance and it occurs in a wide range of wooded habitats, including gardens and parks in cities like Bangkok. It was named in honour of the Scottish naturalist and traveller George Finlayson.
The Finlayson's squirrel has a head-and-body length of about 21–22 cm (8.3–8.7 in) and its tail is about 22–24 cm (8.7–9.4 in) long. There are currently 16 recognised subspecies. Additional subspecies are sometimes recognised. The subspecific name of C. f. boonsongi commemorates Thai zoologist and conservationist Boonsong Lekagul.
The pelage colour in this species is extremely variable and the subspecies are often defined by this feature. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phnom Penh | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | |
| 2 | Bangkok | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 3 | Manila | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 4 | Ho Chi Minh City | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 5 | Singapore | 🇸🇬 Singapore |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beijing Wildlife Park | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 2 | Night Safari | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 3 | Singapore Zoo | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 4 | River Wonders | 🇸🇬 Singapore |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Finlayson's Squirrel sighting in Bangkok on a given day, based on 1,131 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 8 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to February
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Finlayson's Squirrel in Bangkok on a given day, against about 40% in March to May, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Finlayson's Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Finlayson's Squirrel sightings, Bangkok ranks 2nd at about 50%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Phnom Penh (Cambodia, about 50%).
Same genus: Callosciurus
The closest relatives of the Finlayson's Squirrel that you can see in Bangkok (genus Callosciurus, Beautiful Squirrels) are Pallas's Squirrel (about 20%) and Gray-bellied Squirrel (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Finlayson's Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Bangkok (1,131 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
