A very common squirrel of island South East Asia, the Plantain Squirrel can bite into fruit much larger than itself, such as mangoes, coconuts or jackfruit, making it a regular pest for the region's fruit growers.
Body 20 to 30 cm plus a tail of similar length, weight 160 to 259 g; greyish to brown pelage with a chestnut belly and a black-and-white stripe along the flank. The chestnut belly easily distinguishes it from the Black-striped Squirrel, which has a grey belly.
Extremely agile and fast among the branches, capable of leaping several metres between trees. It leaves feeding remains of large, gnawed fruit — mangoes, coconuts, jackfruit — as an unmistakable track and sign of its presence. It rarely descends to the ground.
Wide variety of habitats, including forests, mangroves, parks, gardens and agricultural areas, in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Omnivorous, with a strong preference for fruit, including items much larger than the animal itself.
Diurnal, solitary or social in small groups. It communicates using high-pitched squeaks and chattering while flicking its tail, possibly as an alarm call against predators.
A very common species with a wide distribution, considered an agricultural pest by fruit growers across part of its range.
No significant threats to the species; on the contrary, it is subject to control measures due to the damage it causes to fruit crops.
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