UPSC Prelims 2023 Q17: Indian Squirrels — Nests, Food & Diet Explained
Consider the following statements regarding the Indian squirrels:
1. They build nests by making burrows in the ground.
2. They store their food materials like nuts and seeds in the ground.
3. They are omnivorous.
How many of the above statements are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Answer: (b) Only two
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: incorrect — Indian squirrels live in trees and do not dig burrows. The common three-striped palm squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) builds a loose nest of grass, fibre and leaves in tree forks, palm crowns, roof gaps or wall holes. Giant squirrels (Ratufa) build large ball-shaped nests of twigs and leaves high in the canopy. Ground squirrels and marmots dig burrows, but they belong to other regions and are not the 'Indian squirrels' this question means.
- 2: correct — Squirrels hoard food. They bury nuts and seeds in small hidden stores in the soil, then dig them up later when food is short. This is called scatter-hoarding. Some of the buried seeds are never recovered and they sprout, so squirrels also spread seeds and help forests regenerate.
- 3: correct — Indian squirrels eat mostly seeds, nuts, fruits, flowers and nectar. They also eat insects, larvae and sometimes bird eggs or nestlings. Because they eat both plant and animal matter, they are omnivores, even though most of their diet comes from plants.
How to eliminate
This question mostly tests basic natural history that many people have seen for themselves. Statement 3 is the safest place to start: almost every rodent of this kind eats some insects or eggs along with plant food, so it is very likely correct. Statement 1 can be judged from daily life: the striped squirrels in Indian towns run up trees and nest in tree hollows, roofs and palm crowns, not in holes in the ground. Burrowing belongs to ground squirrels, prairie dogs and marmots. Statement 2 is the hard one. Remember that squirrels hide food by burying nuts and seeds. They nest in trees but store food in the ground. With 1 false and 2 and 3 true, the count settles it. Remember the pair: 'nest up, store down'.
Know more
Squirrels (family Sciuridae) are rodents. They fall into three broad groups: tree squirrels, flying squirrels and ground squirrels. India has mainly the first two.
| Group | Indian examples | Nest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm (striped) squirrels | Three-striped Funambulus palmarum (South and Central India), five-striped F. pennantii (North India) | Grass and fibre nests in trees, roofs, wall gaps | Common around people; IUCN Least Concern |
| Giant squirrels | Indian/Malabar giant squirrel (Ratufa indica), grizzled giant squirrel (R. macroura), Malayan giant squirrel (R. bicolor) | Large ball-shaped leaf-and-twig nests (dreys) in the canopy | Seldom come down to the ground; R. indica is Maharashtra's state animal |
| Flying squirrels | Indian giant flying squirrel (Petaurista philippensis), Namdapha flying squirrel | Tree hollows | Active at night; glide using a skin membrane called the patagium |
| Ground squirrels | Not native to peninsular India | Burrows | Examples: marmots, prairie dogs, sousliks |
Feeding and caching. Squirrels are omnivores whose diet is mostly plants. They eat seeds, nuts, fruit, flowers and bark, plus insects and eggs. Many species scatter-hoard: they bury seeds one at a time in many spots. Seeds they forget can germinate, so squirrels are important seed dispersers.
Protected areas to remember
- Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu) protects R. macroura.
- Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary (Maharashtra) protects the Indian giant squirrel.
- The Malabar giant squirrel is among the mammals of Silent Valley National Park (Kerala).
Myth to drop: 'Squirrels live in holes in the ground.' That is true of ground squirrels. It is not true of India's tree-living squirrels.