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Northern Palm Squirrel
Funambulus pennantii
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderRodentia (Rodents)
- FamilySciuridae (Squirrels)
- GenusFunambulus (Palm Squirrels)
- SpeciesFunambulus pennantii (Northern Palm Squirrel)
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
128 Verified sightings at Kolkata
139 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
April Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted
About the Northern Palm Squirrel
The northern palm squirrel (Funambulus pennantii), also called the five-striped palm squirrel, is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is a semi-arboreal species found in tropical and subtropical dry deciduous forests and many other rural and urban habitats. It is a common species with a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
It is found in the Andaman Islands, Nicobar Islands (where it was introduced), India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Iran. In India, it is fairly common in urban areas, even in large cities such as Delhi and Kolkata. Two subspecies, Funambulus pennantii argentescens and Funambulus pennantii lutescens, were suggested by Wroughton in addition to the nominate race; however, more recent workers do not make this distinction. Wikipedia →
Sounds
Alarm call1:22
India · 1989
© Jelle Scharringa · XC1025104 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Uncertain0:12
India · 2025
© Nick Talbot · XC1063033 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording0:35
Pakistan · 2023
© Jawad Hasan · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recent sightings of Northern Palm Squirrel in Kolkata
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jerusalem Biblical Zoo | 🇮🇱 Israel | |
| 2 | Jijamata Udyaan | 🇮🇳 India |
Closest Relatives at Kolkata
No species of the same family or order lives in Kolkata, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Northern Palm Squirrel in Kolkata?
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Palm Squirrel sighting in Kolkata on a given day, based on 128 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 7 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.
When is the best time to see a Northern Palm Squirrel in Kolkata?
April
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Palm Squirrel in Kolkata on a given day, against about 30% in January–February, June and November, the lowest months. That is one of Kolkata's driest months, with about 50 mm of rain against 330 mm in July.
What time of day is best to see a Northern Palm Squirrel?
Between 5 and 8 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Palm Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Is Kolkata the best place to see a Northern Palm Squirrel?
22nd of 34
Of the 34 cities where we can rate Northern Palm Squirrel sightings, Kolkata ranks 22nd at about 50%. The best odds are in Agra (India, about 80%), Ahmedabad (India, about 80%) and Jammu (India, about 80%).
Where does the Northern Palm Squirrel sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Palm Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Kolkata (128 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.
