Irrawaddy Squirrel

Irrawaddy Squirrel

Callosciurus pygerythrus

Silhouette: Kai Caspar · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Yangon

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

12 Verified sightings at Yangon
37 In all 3 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Irrawaddy Squirrel

The Irrawaddy squirrel (Callosciurus pygerythrus) or hoary-bellied Himalayan squirrel is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. Irrawaddy squirrels vary in fur color, with some squirrels being greyish-brown and reddish-brown, and some squirrels being grizzled. Some squirrels have dark tips on their tails and pale hip patches. Its head to body length is about 20 centimeters and its tail length is about 20 centimeters as well. Irrawaddy squirrels weigh approximately 45 grams.

It is native to Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal. Most squirrels that live in Myanmar live west of the Irrawaddy River. Irrawaddy squirrels can live in several types of forests, including deciduous broad-leaved woodland, coniferous evergreen forests, mixed agricultural areas, and secondary growth forests. They can also live in lowlands and lower mountainous regions, at around 1500 meters. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Irrawaddy squirrels mainly eat nuts, seeds, fruits, bark, lichen, and various types of vegetation, however, they may occasionally eat insects and small vertebrates. Wikipedia →

Sounds

Uncertain0:30

India · 2024

© Lars Lachmann · XC1045493 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:39

Myanmar · 2025

© Ding Li Yong · XC1043716 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kaziranga National Park 🇮🇳 India
~50%
2 Manas National Park 🇮🇳 India
~40%
3 Royal Manas National Park 🇧🇹 Bhutan
~40%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Dhaka 🇧🇩 Bangladesh
~40%
2 Yangon 🇲🇲 Myanmar
~40%
3 Guwahati 🇮🇳 India
~40%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Irrawaddy Squirrel in Yangon?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report an Irrawaddy Squirrel sighting in Yangon on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. 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 an Irrawaddy Squirrel in Yangon?

August

In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report an Irrawaddy Squirrel in Yangon on a given day, against about 10% in January–June and September, the lowest months. That is one of Yangon's wettest months, with about 250 mm of rain against almost none in February.

What time of day is best to see an Irrawaddy Squirrel?

Between 2 and 5 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Irrawaddy Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Yangon the best place to see an Irrawaddy Squirrel?

Among the best

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Irrawaddy Squirrel sightings, Yangon ranks 2nd at about 40%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Dhaka (Bangladesh, about 40%).

Where does the Irrawaddy Squirrel sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Irrawaddy Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Yangon (12 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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