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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 ~60% in a week ~90%
97 Verified sightings at Mumbai
139 In all 4 parks From 2019 to 2026
August 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 Mumbai
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 Mumbai
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Northern Palm Squirrel in Mumbai?
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Palm Squirrel sighting in Mumbai on a given day, based on 97 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 13 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Northern Palm Squirrel in Mumbai?
August
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Palm Squirrel in Mumbai on a given day, against under 5% in October, the lowest month. That is one of Mumbai's wettest months, with about 610 mm of rain against almost none in January.
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 Mumbai the best place to see a Northern Palm Squirrel?
34th of 34
Of the 34 cities where we can rate Northern Palm Squirrel sightings, Mumbai ranks 34th at about 30%. The best odds are in Agra (India, about 80%), Ahmedabad (India, about 80%) and Jammu (India, about 80%).
Which relatives of the Northern Palm Squirrel live in Mumbai?
Same genus: Funambulus
The closest relatives of the Northern Palm Squirrel that you can see in Mumbai (genus Funambulus, Palm Squirrels) are Indian Palm Squirrel (about 20%) and Jungle Palm Squirrel (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
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 Mumbai (97 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.
