Dusky Palm Squirrel
Funambulus obscurus
Conservation Status
VulnerableMammalia · Rodentia · Sciuridae
About
The dusky striped squirrel is a species of small squirrel from Sri Lanka that is largely confined to rainforests in the southwestern "wet zone" with higher rainfall than the rest of the island. It was formerly regarded as a subspecies of Funambulus sublineatus from India, at which point the English name of the "combined species" also was dusky striped squirrel. It is known as පුංචි ලේනා or "batu lena" in the Sinhala language.
Fun Fact
Phillips in the Manual of the Mammals of Sri Lanka who identified it as the smallest Sri Lankan squirrel species.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Found in Sri Lanka, this squirrel can be seen in wet zone low elevations to highlands with dense forest cover up to ~2400m or 8000 ft, being a squirrel that naturally occurs at the highest elevations where frost can occur compared to other Sri Lankan squirrels.
Diet
Diet of starch, nuts and fruit).
Lifespan
To be updated
Threats
- Habitat Degradation
- Overexploitation
- Invasive Species
- Climate Change