Colugo, Primates, Rabbits and Rodents

All the featured species are ‘Red List 2020-2’ assessed as ‘Least Concern’. About forty per cent of all mammals are rodents. They have a single pair of continuously growing incisors and are amongst the most successful of all mammals.

American Red Squirrel is one of the smaller tree squirrels being brownish or reddish with white underparts. These native North American species occupy many types of forest and woodland and thrive in urban areas.

Grey Squirrels are native to eastern North American where they prefer extensive, diversely vegetated woodlands. A successful introduced species to Great Britain forced the native red squirrels from most of their range. Frequent visitors to gardens and often consider being a pest.

Himalayan Striped Squirrel found in forests above 700 m in the northern Indomalaya region. I photographed them at Fraser’s Hill in Malaysia.

Plantain Squirrel occurs in a wide range of habitats including parks and semi-urban areas. Distribution is southern Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and western Indonesia islands.

Mountain Red-bellied Squirrel (or Pallas’s Squirrel) prefers forested areas above 900 m. Found in parts of the northern Indomalaya region. I photographed this species at Fraser’s Hill in Malaysia.

Grey-bellied Squirrel occupies a variety of habitats including forests, parks, and gardens. I photographed them in Peninsular Malaysia; their distribution also includes Peninsular Burma, and Thailand but not Singapore.

Finlayson’s Squirrel inhabits Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. An introduced species in Singapore, where I photographed them, and in Japan and Italy where both countries list them as an invasive species.

Slender Squirrel distribution includes Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, and Sumatra with populations in Singapore’s Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Central Catchment Area, and the Botanic Gardens.

Wood Mouse native to Europe, northwestern Africa; occupy a wide range of habitats including woodland, grassland, and gardens. Although mainly nocturnal, I photographed this individual in my back garden on a sunny day. There is a nest under my greenhouse and will eat my seeds if not stored in a sealed container.

Black Rat a global pest that prefers coastal and aquatic areas often living in roof spaces.

Red-rumped Agouti native to North Eastern South America found in forests.

Coypu is native to South America with feral populations in Europe, Asia, and North America. Prefers habitat that includes marshes, lake edges, and streams with vegetated banks. I photographed these mammals in Normandy and the Camargue in France.