Ratufa bicolor
Silhouette: Joseph Smit · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The black giant squirrel or Malayan giant squirrel (Ratufa bicolor) is a large tree squirrel in the genus Ratufa native to the Indomalayan zootope. It is found in forests from northern Bangladesh, northeast India, eastern Nepal, Bhutan, southern China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, West Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and western Indonesia (Java, Sumatra, Bali and nearby small islands).
The black giant squirrel is one of the largest species of squirrel in the world. On average, an adult black giant squirrel weighs around 1.05–1.25 kg (2.3–2.8 lb), has a head–and–body length of 34–37 cm (13–15 in), and the tail is 41–42 cm (16–17 in) long. The subspecies R. b. condorensis of Vietnam's Côn Sơn Island averages only c. 30 cm (12 in) in head–and–body length and the tail 32 cm (13 in), but otherwise it resembles the typical subspecies.
This species is typically distinctly bicoloured with dark upperparts and pale underparts. The back, top of the head, ears and bushy tail are deep brown to black and the underparts are light buff-coloured. In Sumatra, Java and Bali the hairs of the back and tail are light-tipped, making these sections appear relatively pale (however, the upperparts... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namdapha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 3 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 4 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 7 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 8 | Royal Manas National Park | 🇧🇹 Bhutan | |
| 9 | Khao Luang National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 10 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 11 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 12 | Cat Tien National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 13 | Khao Sok National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tashkent Zoo | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | |
| 2 | Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 3 | Entopia | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Black Giant Squirrel sighting in Khao Yai National Park on a given day, based on 162 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 7th most-seen of the 24 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Black Giant Squirrel in Khao Yai National Park on a given day, against about 30% in June, the lowest month. That is one of Khao Yai National Park's driest months, with about 20 mm of rain against 330 mm in September.
Between 3 and 6 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Giant Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
2nd of 13
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Black Giant Squirrel sightings, Khao Yai National Park ranks 2nd at about 50%. The best odds are in Namdapha National Park (India, about 60%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Sciuridae
The closest relatives of the Black Giant Squirrel that you can see in Khao Yai National Park (family Sciuridae, Squirrels) are Finlayson's Squirrel (about 50%) and Gray-bellied Squirrel (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black Giant Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Khao Yai National Park (162 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.
