Pygmy Squirrels

Pygmy Squirrels

 

rodents of the family Sciuridae, belonging to four genera. The true pygmy squirrel (Nannosciurus) is represented by five (according to some sources, six) species. The length of the body measures 7.5–11.5 cm. The tail is thin and flattened, and the ears are short. The fur is soft, short, and of brownish color, with occasional black and white markings on the sides of the head. Pygmy squirrels dwell in the tropical forests of the Indo-Malay archipelago, western Africa, and South America, living in mountains to elevations of 1, 650 m. They lead a semiarboreal way of life, much like chipmunks. The best-known species is the Malay pygmy squirrel, N. exilis.