Finlayson's Squirrel

Finlayson's Squirrel

Callosciurus finlaysonii

Silhouette: Kai Caspar · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
at Phnom Penh

In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%

13 Verified sightings at Phnom Penh
104 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
February Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Finlayson's Squirrel

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 →

Sounds

Uncertain0:18

Cambodia · 2026

© JJSUN · XC1103637 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:47

Thailand · 2017

© Marc Anderson · XC999545 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Social call0:36

Thailand · 2025

© Daan Drukker · XC972541 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~50%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Phnom Penh 🇰🇭 Cambodia
~50%
2 Bangkok 🇹🇭 Thailand
~50%
3 Manila 🇵🇭 Philippines
~40%
4 Ho Chi Minh City 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~10%
5 Singapore 🇸🇬 Singapore
~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Beijing Wildlife Park 🇨🇳 China In captivity
2 Night Safari 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
3 Singapore Zoo 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
4 River Wonders 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Finlayson's Squirrel in Phnom Penh?

Likely

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Finlayson's Squirrel sighting in Phnom Penh on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Finlayson's Squirrel in Phnom Penh?

January and February

In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Finlayson's Squirrel in Phnom Penh on a given day, against about 10% in May to September, the lowest months. Those are among Phnom Penh's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain a month against 190 mm in June.

What time of day is best to see a Finlayson's Squirrel?

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.

Is Phnom Penh the best place to see a Finlayson's Squirrel?

Yes

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Finlayson's Squirrel sightings, Phnom Penh has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Bangkok (Thailand, about 50%) and Manila (Philippines, about 40%).

Where does the Finlayson's Squirrel sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Finlayson's Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Phnom Penh (13 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.

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