{"id":2191644,"date":"2026-07-05T06:00:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-05T05:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2191644"},"modified":"2026-07-11T21:44:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T19:44:35","slug":"this-peculiar-rodent-is-the-size-of-a-domestic-cat-and-weirdly-covered-in-bands-of-deep-rich-reds-and-blues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/test-platform5\/this-peculiar-rodent-is-the-size-of-a-domestic-cat-and-weirdly-covered-in-bands-of-deep-rich-reds-and-blues\/","title":{"rendered":"This peculiar rodent is the size of a domestic cat and weirdly covered in bands of deep, rich reds and blues"},"content":{"rendered":"

Squirrels don\u2019t come much bigger than the Malabar giant variety. Weighing four times as much as a\u00a0grey squirrel\u00a0and much bigger than the\u00a0red squirrel, this robust rodent is about the size of a domestic cat.<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not the Malabar giant\u2019s size that turns heads and drops jaws, but rather its colour scheme. Meet the rainbow squirrel.<\/p>\n

Where do rainbow squirrels live?<\/h2>\n

Endemic to India, where it is the state animal of Maharashtra in the west of the country, it has become quite a hit on social media in recent years thanks to its exquisite pelage, which will leave you in no doubt as to why it has come to be known colloquially as the rainbow squirrel.<\/p>\n

What do rainbow squirrels look like?<\/h2>\n

While its undercarriage is a fairly standard beige, its back and flanks are adorned with bands of deep, rich reds and blues which, combined, give an overall impression of purple.<\/p>\n

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