![]() ![]() ![]() In other words, what looks flashy and fun to us in an Instagram post may help the squirrels disappear when hungry mouths come prowling. This is because the broadleaf forests these squirrels inhabit create a “mosaic of sun flecks and dark, shaded areas"-not unlike the rodents’ markings. No one knows for sure, says Koprowski, but the squirrel’s purple patterns likely play some sort of role as camouflage. ( Learn about quirky squirrel behaviors.) Why is the Indian giant squirrel purple?Įven among its relatives, the Indian giant squirrel stands out with its vibrant colors, which makes one wonder why evolution would select for pelage, or fur, that would call so much attention to itself.Īfter all, these forests are also home to predators such as lion-tailed macaques, leopards, and crested serpent eagles-all of which have been known to hunt tree-dwelling rodents. Instead of storing nuts and seeds in larders underground, Indian giant squirrels create caches of food high up in the treetops. WATCH: Squirrels balance caution and curiosity as they seek and cache their food. “All four species are believed to be declining, although still common enough to be frequently spotted by people,” says Koprowski.Īside from being large and violet, Indian giant squirrels differ from almost all other squirrels in another way, notes John Wible, curator of mammals at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. The black giant squirrel, which is mostly black and white, ( Ratufa bicolor) can be found in similar locales as well as China.Īnd the Sri Lankan giant squirrel ( Ratufa macroura) inhabits its namesake island in addition to southern India, and is generally various shades of black and gray. ![]() The pale giant squirrel ( Ratufa affinis) is native to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, and is generally brown or tan in coloration. “The four species that make up this group are fascinating in their large size, brilliant coloration, and penchant for feeding on some of the massive tropical fruits in the tree canopy,” says Koprowski. Large trusses of showy flowers - white with pale orchid markings - are a beautiful contrast to the dark green leaves. There are three other giants in the squirrel family, Sciuridae-each of which weighs in at two to three times the size of the gray squirrels native to the eastern United States. That's what it looks like to me." Getting to know the giant squirrelsīelieve it or not, R. "There's a setting called 'vibrance' that enhances color intensity. "It's very possible that someone took a bit of Photoshop license to these pics," Krempels, senior lecturer at the University of Miami, says by email. That said, evolutionary biologist Dana Krempels suspects that some of the really bright Instagram photos may have been enhanced. It’s “as close to purple as one gets in a mammal,” he says. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |