This genus contains four species. They are canopy dwellers
in tropical rainforests, nesting and foraging high in the trees
and feeding on fruits, seeds, and leaves.
Ratufa affi nis (Raffl es, 1821)
Pale Giant Squirrel
description: This is the brown giant tree squirrel of the
Sunda Shelf. It is pale on the abdomen and darker on the
back, at least in the midline.
size: Female—HB 342.2 mm (n = 24); T 423.6 mm (n = 10);
Mass 1236 g (n = 17).
Male—HB 335.2 mm (n = 30); T 409.3 mm (n = 50); Mass
1064.4 g (n = 31).
Sex not stated—HB 337.6 mm (n = 34); T 411.1 mm (n = 13);
Mass 1120.7 g (n = 30).
distribution: This species is found through the Malay
Peninsula, Sumatra (Indonesia), the island of Borneo (di-
vided among Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, and Indonesia),
and adjacent small islands.
geographic variation: Nine subspecies are recognized.
R. a. affi nis—peninsular Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, and
Singapore. It is pale below and uniformly brown above,
with paler animals in the southern part of its range.
None are as dark as the animals from the island of
Borneo.
R. a. bancana—Bangka Island (Indonesia). This subspecies
resembles R. a. polia, but it has lighter forefeet, less white
on the head, and smaller teeth.
R. a. baramensis—Sabah, Sarawak, and Banggi Island (Malay-Subfamily Ratufi nae, Moore, 1959
This subfamily—comprising the giant tree squirrels (Ratufa) of southern Asia—
includes four species of squirrels: two of these are restricted to India and Sri Lanka,
and the other two range from Nepal and southern China to the islands of Borneo,
Java, and Sumatra. These giant tree squirrels were recognized as a separate tribe
within the family Sciuridae on the basis of their morphology, and they are consid-
ered one of the two most identifiable genera of squirrels. Molecular evidence con-
firmed their distinctness and led to them being treated as the subfamily Ratufinae.
Ratufa Gray, 1867