Funambulus sublineatus
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The Nilgiri striped squirrel (Funambulus sublineatus) is a threatened species of rodent, a small squirrel (Sciuridae) from rainforests in the southern Western Ghats, including the Nilgiris, in Peninsular India. It formerly included Funambulus obscurus from Sri Lanka as a subspecies, at which point the English name of the "combined species" also was dusky striped squirrel (a name now restricted to the Sri Lankan species).
Funambulus sublineatus was scientifically described in 1838. Later it was merged with the Sri Lankan obscurus, then regarded as a subspecies of Funambulus sublineatus. In 2012, a review found that the two were highly distinct and recommended that they should be recognized as separate species.
The former range of the species, before the taxonomic split, was in both India and Sri Lanka, though the Nilgiri palm squirrel (F. sublineatus) is now restricted in distribution to the Western Ghats of India. Very little is known of this squirrel, probably the smallest in the genus weighing about 40g. Its new status as an endemic mammal to India means records need updating.
The species is confined to wet humid forests either in the Western Ghats... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Horton Plains National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Eravikulam National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Nilgiri Palm Squirrel sighting in Horton Plains National Park on a given day, based on 54 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 6 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.
January, March–April and October
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Nilgiri Palm Squirrel in Horton Plains National Park on a given day, against about 10% in September, the lowest month.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Nilgiri Palm Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Nilgiri Palm Squirrel sightings, Horton Plains National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Sinharaja Forest Reserve (Sri Lanka, about 20%) and Eravikulam National Park (India, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Nilgiri Palm Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Horton Plains National Park (54 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
