Paraxerus cepapi
Silhouette: Joseph Smit · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
Smith's bush squirrel (Paraxerus cepapi), also known as the yellow-footed squirrel or tree squirrel, is an African bush squirrel which is native to woodlands of the southern Afrotropics. It is found in Angola, Botswana, the DRCongo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It is a common rodent which is diurnal by nature.
Its total length is 350 mm (14 in), half of which is tail; weight 200 g (7.1 oz). The coat colour varies throughout the region. In the western and arid parts of its range, it is pale grey, and in the eastern localities, more brown. Its head and legs are a rusty colour. Colouration on the chest varies from yellowish to buff in the east, to white in the west. This squirrel's belly is white. These alert and ever busy creatures carry their long tails extended backwards.
Smith's bush squirrels are primarily vegetarian, but like most rodents, they take insect prey and use their front feet to manipulate food items when feeding. They scatter-hoard seeds next to tree trunks or grass tufts, thereby facilitating tree regeneration.
Essentially arboreal animals, they also spend a great deal... Wikipedia →
Call1:10
Botswana · 2023
© Marc Anderson · XC1080570 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Recording1:04
South Africa · 2026
© Sascha Schumann · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:11
Botswana · 2019
© Dewald du Plessis · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liwonde National Park | 🇲🇼 Malawi | |
| 2 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 3 | Lower Zambezi National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 4 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 5 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 6 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 7 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 8 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 9 | South Luangwa National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 10 | Kafue National Park | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 11 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 12 | Pilanesberg National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoo Pilsen | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Chester Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Hartbeespoort Dam Snake and Animal Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
No species of the same family or order lives in Lower Zambezi National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Smith's Bush Squirrel sighting in Lower Zambezi National Park on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 16 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.
February
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Smith's Bush Squirrel in Lower Zambezi National Park on a given day, against about 10% in September and November, the lowest months. That is one of Lower Zambezi National Park's wettest months, with about 210 mm of rain against almost none in September. March and December–January have too few records to rate.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Smith's Bush 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.
Among the best
Of the 12 parks where we can rate Smith's Bush Squirrel sightings, Lower Zambezi National Park ranks 3rd at about 50%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Liwonde National Park (Malawi, about 50%) and Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe, about 50%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Smith's Bush Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Lower Zambezi National Park (9 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.
