A Squirrel with a bushy tail

The Forest trail adjacent to the freshwater stream was all water-soaked. The pill millipedes and slimy snails marched towards the vegetation clearing up the path for me. My trekking boots squelched through the wet mud leaving behind a boot imprint on the soil. Slender loops of flesh were nearing me, I bowed down to have a closer look those were leeches awaiting a blood meal. The continual fall of Euonymus indicus bloom made the path a tropical paradise. The moss-laden tree barks and the intertwined creepers falling from the tree denoted pure co-existence amidst the rainforest. Tiny little Impatiens blooming through the cracked boulders reminded me of being beautiful amidst the hard times. The tiny little bees hovering around them stood as a witness for help at the right time. 

As, I moved more deep into the jungles, space echoed the cackling noise of the hornbills. A redolence of Elaeocarpus blooms wafted through the air. I lifted my head to admire the blooms instead, I stood awestruck by the towering height of the tree. The flowers were falling continually as a mark of gratitude to the earth that had her grounded. Meanwhile, there was a commotion in the nearby tree canopy. Shaking branches, falling fruits, and aggressive screeches surely gave me an inkling of something hidden behind the leaves. I waited, slowly the screeches mellowed down and a creature approached the tip of the branch. It was bewitching, it had a beautiful hue on it. It appeared as though it brushed itself on the darker shades of a paint pallete. It was nibbling on something, but more than that it was the posture that intrigued me. It completely was bent away from the branch that it walked on a little while ago. I wondered how someone can ever balance themselves like that unless I held my binoculars to have a look at the bushy dark tail counter-balancing it. There was a hiatus between the nibbling and the intruding squeaks. Content with the sighting I went back to my tent munching few water apples I found on my way.

    Picture Courtesy: Sijopunathil Photography

KNOW MORE ABOUT THE ANIMAL:

1. Rodents are a type of mammal which possess a single pair of growing incisors on both the jaws. Tree squirrels are rodents who have adapted to arboreal (Tree-dwelling) life. They are known to live a solitary life or pair up during mating, seldom seen in groups. 

2. The genus Ratufa comprises of the world's largest tree squirrels. It consists of four species Ratufa affinis (Cream coloured gaint squirrel), Ratufa bicolor (Black giant squirrel), Ratufa indica ( Indian Giant squirrel) and Ratufa macroura ( Grizzled giant squirrel). Out of which the latter three are found in India.

 

3. Indian giant squirrel is found throughout The Western Ghats and discontinuous patches of central India. The body has maroon and black upperpart while as the underpart appears buff or pale. They are canopy-dwellers and make nests on the barks of the tree. They are mostly herbivores and feed on a variety of seeds and fruit. They sleep draped on the branch while the tail falls below.