Specimen C 30159 Taxidermy Mount - Pale Giant Squirrel, Ratufa affinis

Summary

The Pale Giant Squirrel is one of the largest squirrel species, reaching up to 80 cm from head to tail-tip with the tail being longer than the body. It lives in the forest canopy of primary rainforest from southern Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

This specimen was collected in Sarawak in 1862 by "Mr Wallace". Alfred Russel Wallace was a naturalist and explorer who spent nearly a decade in the Malay Archipelago (1854-1862) collecting specimens for his own collections and for sale to other collectors and institutions. His observations of animal distribution during this time were fundamental in the development of biogeography, the study of why plants and animals occur where they do. He also independently formulated some parts of the idea of evolution by natural selection which led to a joint publication with Charles Darwin (1809-1882).

The Pale Giant squirrel feeds largely on seeds, fruits and insects. Unlike other tree squirrels they do not curve their tail over their head while they eat but rather use it as a counterweight, often sticking downwards from the branch they sit on.

This species is highly threatened by habitat destruction through logging which has contributed to significant population declines. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) considers the Pale Giant Squirrel to be Near Threatened and it is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to ensure that international trade does not threaten their survival in the wild.