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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 ~70% in a week ~90%
91 Verified sightings at Pune
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 Pune
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 Pune
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Northern Palm Squirrel in Pune?
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Palm Squirrel sighting in Pune on a given day, based on 91 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 9 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, 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 Pune?
April and July–August
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Palm Squirrel in Pune on a given day, against about 10% in March, the lowest month. Those are among Pune's wettest months, with about 310 mm of rain a month 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 Pune the best place to see a Northern Palm Squirrel?
32nd of 34
Of the 34 cities where we can rate Northern Palm Squirrel sightings, Pune ranks 32nd 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 Pune?
Same genus: Funambulus
The closest relatives of the Northern Palm Squirrel that you can see in Pune (genus Funambulus, Palm Squirrels) are Indian Palm Squirrel (about 10%) 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 Pune (91 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.
