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Indian Palm Squirrel
Funambulus palmarum
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderRodentia (Rodents)
- FamilySciuridae (Squirrels)
- GenusFunambulus (Palm Squirrels)
- SpeciesFunambulus palmarum (Indian Palm Squirrel)
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
67 Verified sightings at Sinharaja Forest Reserve From 2019 to 2026
201 In all 8 parks
December Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted
About the Indian Palm Squirrel
The Indian palm squirrel or three-striped palm squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae found naturally in India (south of the Vindhyas), Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. In the late 19th century, the palm squirrel was introduced to Madagascar, Réunion, Mayotte, Comoro Islands, Mauritius, and Seychelles. The closely related five-striped palm squirrel (F. pennantii) is found in northern India, and its range partly overlaps with this species.
The palm squirrel is about the size of a large chipmunk, with a bushy tail slightly shorter than its body. The back is a grizzled, grey-brown colour with three conspicuous white stripes which run from head to tail. The two outer stripes run from the forelegs to the hind legs only. It has a creamy-white belly and a tail covered with interspersed, long, black and white hair. The ears are small and triangular. Juvenile squirrels have significantly lighter coloration, which gets progressively darker as they age. Albinism is rare, but exists in this species.
The Indian palm squirrel exhibits a variety of reproductive behaviors; some display cyclical periodicity activity while others show... Wikipedia →
Sounds
Uncertain0:11
Sri Lanka · 2025
© Nick Talbot · XC1048912 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording0:03
India · 2017
© Antonio Xeira · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:14
Sri Lanka · 2024
© Dulyana Apoorva Wanigasooriya · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recent sightings of Indian Palm Squirrel in Sinharaja Forest Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sinharaja Forest Reserve | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 2 | Minneriya National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 3 | Wilpattu National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 4 | Udawalawe National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 5 | Yala National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 6 | Mudumalai National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Horton Plains National Park | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 8 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vijayawada | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Puducherry | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | |
| 4 | Tiruchirappalli | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 5 | Coimbatore | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Madurai | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Bengaluru | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Chennai | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Thiruvananthapuram | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 10 | Kalyan-Dombivli | 🇮🇳 India |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zlín-Lešná Zoo | 🇨🇿 Czechia | |
| 2 | Jijamata Udyaan | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Thiruvananthapuram Zoo | 🇮🇳 India |
Closest Relatives at Sinharaja Forest Reserve
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing an Indian Palm Squirrel in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Palm Squirrel sighting in Sinharaja Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 67 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 8 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.
When is the best time to see an Indian Palm Squirrel in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?
October and December–January
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report an Indian Palm Squirrel in Sinharaja Forest Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in July, the lowest month.
What time of day is best to see an Indian Palm Squirrel?
Between 4 and 7 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Indian 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.
Is Sinharaja Forest Reserve the best place to see an Indian Palm Squirrel?
Yes
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Indian Palm Squirrel sightings, Sinharaja Forest Reserve has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Minneriya National Park (Sri Lanka, about 40%) and Wilpattu National Park (Sri Lanka, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Indian Palm Squirrel live in Sinharaja Forest Reserve?
Same genus: Funambulus
The closest relatives of the Indian Palm Squirrel that you can see in Sinharaja Forest Reserve (genus Funambulus, Palm Squirrels) are Layard's Palm Squirrel (about 40%) and Nilgiri Palm Squirrel (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Indian Palm Squirrel sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Indian Palm Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Sinharaja Forest Reserve (67 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.
