Hon Khoai Squirrel

About this species

Habitat

Island forest

Range

Endemic to the Hon Khoai island group off southern Vietnam

The Hon Khoai squirrel is a species of squirrel in the family Sciuridae endemic to the small island group of Hon Khoai, off the coast of south Vietnam. It can be told from other Callosciurus squirrels by the hairs at the tip of the tail being white with a black base, as well as the cream-coloured underside and feet (Wikipedia, general species account).

This species was likely separated from the mainland by the repeated glaciations and interglacials of the Pleistocene. Its closest relative is the grey-bellied squirrel (Callosciurus caniceps), from which it diverged as early as the Pliocene. In an example of insular dwarfism, it is much smaller than its mainland relative.

Description: Wildlife of Vietnam guide, Wildlife of Everywhere (wildlifeofeverywhere.com); general species information paraphrased from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)