146 Callosciurus notatusha plots in 1999, it was trapped 10.7 and 7.8 times per thou-
sand trap days in disturbed habitats, and 3.4 and 0.6 times
per thousand trap days in areas less disturbed by human
activity. It travels and feeds mainly in small trees.
natural history: In the Krau Wildlife Reserve (Pahang,
Malaysia), the plantain squirrel eats seeds (approximately
30%), fruits (10%, including some fi gs), leaves and shoots
(25%), fl owers (5%), bark and sap (25%), and insects and other
arthropods (5%). In the Ulu Gombak Forest Reserve (Selan-
gor, Malaysia), its foods include fruits (43%), bark (40%), and
a variety of other plant parts, including fl owers (4%) and
leaves (1%) from 16 species of plants. On the island of Bor-
neo, this species was recorded feeding on the fruit of Raffl e-
sia keithii, a parasitic plant with colossal unisexual putrid-
smelling fl owers. The very small seeds of this plant appear
to be well suited for dispersal in the feces of small mammals,
such as this squirrel. Plantain squirrels commonly remove
seeds and fruits from fruiting trees and take them else-
where. They can be seen carrying fruit while traveling far
from any fruit-bearing tree: perhaps to feed in a more pro-
tected area, perhaps to cache it. They usually eat the seeds
after feeding on the fruit. They will gnaw the cambium of
rubber trees and lick the latex. They are also known to eat
insects—their stomach contents have been reported to be
half insects by bulk.
Population density is 5.35 individuals/ km^2 in the Ulu
Mudah Forest Reserve (Kedah, Malaysia) and 8.1 individuals/
km^2 in Kayan Mentarang National Park (East Kalimantan,
Indonesia), but 244 individuals/ km^2 in the Krau Wildlife
Reserve (Pahang, Malaysia). In lowland dipterocarp forests
in the Ulu Gombak Forest Reserve (Selangor, Malaysia), the
plantain squirrel is most active in the early morning, with
its activity tapering off by 10 a.m., then increasing again
from 4 to 6 p.m. It appears to avoid the ground, is most fre-
quently observed at heights between 6 and 10 m, and is sel-
dom seen above 20 m in the trees. In the Krau Wildlife Re-
serve, this species ranges from ground level to 24 m, but it is
most commonly seen between 6 and 12 m. Its home range
diff ers between males and females: 0.7 ha in males, with
extensive overlaps between males and between males and
females; and 1.8 ha in females, with no overlap between
them, in the Ulu Gombak Forest Reserve.
C. notatus responds to terrestrial predators with a re-
peated staccato bark and tail fl icking, to which other con-
specifi c squirrels react by climbing upward and remaining
quiet. The response to an aerial predator is a soft “chuckle,”
unless the predator is close, in which case the squirrel gives
a “rattle” vocalization. Conspecifi cs react to the latter by
freezing and, if they are nearby, by a lso giving a “rattle” ca ll.
This call is used more generally for a close encounter with a
terrestrial predator. Snakes elicit “squeak” alarm calls, caus-
ing other squirrels to join in mobbing the snake. The nest is
spherical in shape, with a poorly defi ned lateral entrance. It
consists of a fi rm outer wall of twigs or leaves and is lined
with fi brous material, such as shredded palm spathe. It is
usually placed in the upper branches of a large bush or small
tree. In the Ulu Gombak Forest Reserve, females mate with
two to four males during a six- to seven-hour period, with
fi ve to seven males attending. After mating, a male gives a
postcopulatory bark for 0.5–8 minutes. Between 1948 and
1952 in the Ulu Gombak Forest Reserve (Malaysia), females
were pregnant in every month of the year, with the fewest
in October–December (8%) and the most in April–June
(29%). Litter size was one to four, with a mean of 2.2 young
(n = 25 litters).general references: Abdullah et al. 2001; Becker et al.
1985; Bonhote 1901; Emmons et al. 1991; Lundahl and Olsson
2002; Norhayati et al. 2004; J. B. Payne 1980; Saiful et al.
2001; Tamura 1993; Tamura and Yong 1993.Callosciurus orestes (Thomas, 1895)
Borneo Black-Banded Squirreldescription: The dorsal pelage is brown and fi nely speck-
led. This species has a buff y spot behind the ear and side
stripes that are buff y white over black. It is gray bellied,
sometimes a dark gray, and sometimes paler with a reddish
tinge.Callosciurus notatus. Photo courtesy Nick Baker, http://www.ecol
ogyasia.com.