Phuket Squirrels

[KarenBravo]

I've had squirrels in my garden ever since I've been in the present house.

Saw a few of them in a garden in Phuket Town, but, not many other places.

Are they wide-spread and common, or, are they relatively rare?

Would also like to know what their name in English is. No luck with Google.

Hope there's a nature lover that might know.

[LivinginKata]

They seem quite common. Have a pair in tree at back of my home in Kata and plenty of them over at our places off Nanai Rd in Patong. Quite small and dark coloured. Very noisey and active.

[KarenBravo]

They seem quite common. Have a pair in tree at back of my home in Kata and plenty of them over at our places off Nanai Rd in Patong. Quite small and dark coloured. Very noisey and active.

Yup........sounds like the ones. Nice to know they're common.

[Old Croc]

First saw some years ago in a resort right on the beach at Patong. Cute little ones.

Had some near the place I rented in Rawai near the Evason. Big ugly looking things about 2 foot long.

And a noisy group of them come down to feast on the crabb apple tree near my current rental off Nanai in Patong.

Found this on Sawadee.com:

Squirrels: There are various kinds of Squirrels but ones that are easily seen are Malayan Black Giant Squirrels, the Red-Bellied Squirrels and the Grey-Bellied Squirrels (Black-Tip Tail Squirrel). The Malayan Black Giant Squirrels are the largest squirrel you will see. They have a black head and yellowish orange hair on their cheeks, neck and chin. The hair on their backs is black in colour. As the name suggests the Red-Bellied Squirrels have red or brown hair on their bellies. The rest of their body and tail hair is brownish grey or brown and they have one big black band on their back. Greenish brown and black striped bushy tails are the characteristics of the Grey-Bellied Squirrel.

Edited April 2, 2011 by Old Croc

[Tywais]

Not sure if you are asking about common in Phuket or Thailand in general. Just in case, sitting at my office in Chiang Mai I see them daily running about in the trees within a few meters of me.

Thai name - gra rok - กระรอก. There are other names beside this one also. Thai2English

[HDRIDER]

Funny, saw one this morning in my garden first time i have seen one since i moved in nearly 2 years ago

[brieno1955]

They seem quite common. Have a pair in tree at back of my home in Kata and plenty of them over at our places off Nanai Rd in Patong. Quite small and dark coloured. Very noisey and active.

Yup........sounds like the ones. Nice to know they're common.

Near treed areas often to be seen running along the overhead wiring electric or whatever , usually the larger diameter ones

[glassdude007]

squirrels...

Would also like to know what their name in English is...

rodents

Edited April 2, 2011 by glassdude007

[Atmos]

a year in Phuket and I never saw one, despite living among the trees/bush on slopes of Big Buddha hills.

We moved to Sa Kaeo and little light-brown ones, maybe 25cm/10" tall quite common, and often in pairs, seen the same type in Bangkok also; now moved to Chanthaburi - will keep a lookout!

[Pinot]

They would be a lot more common if Thais didn't consider them dinner. I back up against the hills in Kamala and have seen a pair of black ones a couple of times.

[Logician]

They would be a lot more common if Thais didn't consider them dinner. I back up against the hills in Kamala and have seen a pair of black ones a couple of times.

I was going to say, that I'm glad they're not rare, because I had a squirrel dish served to me the other day.

I'm not so principled that I wouldn't eat it once it had been cooked already, but would be much happier if it wasn't a rare species.

[Wellington]

squirrels...

Would also like to know what their name in English is...

rodents

As a youngster in Sussex my father called them

"Tree Rats"

As a schoolboy The Min. Of Ag. used to hand out 1 shilling for a tail, so

I went out at dawn several times a week to boost my pocket money. Had to be sure of a kill as a cartridge cost 6p.

Then, they were regarded as vermin, and had more or less wiped out the Red Squirrel population. Where can you see a Red today?

[Logician]

As a youngster in Sussex my father called them

"Tree Rats"

As a schoolboy The Min. Of Ag. used to hand out 1 shilling for a tail, so

I went out at dawn several times a week to boost my pocket money. Had to be sure of a kill as a cartridge cost 6p.

Then, they were regarded as vermin, and had more or less wiped out the Red Squirrel population. Where can you see a Red today?

Although the reds were lovely, it's extremely over sentimental, to hold it against the grays.

Survival of the fittest. The reds were pretty, but not very fit!

[Lannatyne]

Do these Malayan Giant Black Squirrels have proper visas for Thailand?

How many acorns do they have to have in the Nut Bank?

How can they 'own' the tree they live in?

Should they wear helmets when running along the electric wires?

Humourous, but can members recall how the 'locals' got restless when that South African guy was proposing "Monkey Island" in the middle of Chalong Bay? Whatever apes he was going to put on weren't native to here, and the locals were saying that only Thai monkeys should be allowed on the island!

[petercallen]

They would be a lot more common if Thais didn't consider them dinner. I back up against the hills in Kamala and have seen a pair of black ones a couple of times.

I was going to say, that I'm glad they're not rare, because I had a squirrel dish served to me the other day.

I'm not so principled that I wouldn't eat it once it had been cooked already, but would be much happier if it wasn't a rare species.

They are not a rare species, They are common all everywhere in Thailand

What do they taste like

[Logician]

They would be a lot more common if Thais didn't consider them dinner. I back up against the hills in Kamala and have seen a pair of black ones a couple of times.

I was going to say, that I'm glad they're not rare, because I had a squirrel dish served to me the other day.

I'm not so principled that I wouldn't eat it once it had been cooked already, but would be much happier if it wasn't a rare species.

They are not a rare species, They are common all everywhere in Thailand

What do they taste like

Like any 'jungle food', when there isn't a lot of meat involved, it normally gets chopped up with bits of bone and gristle and god knows what else. So for me, food like squirrel and snake is always a bit to crunchy. It would be OK if it was just meat, but then that wouldn't make a very big meal, which defies the object for people who need to eat this kind of thing.

Not only that, it was spicey beyond belief, so it could have been anything, and it would have tasted the same!

[aglae4]

Yes, I had some in my garden too a few years ago in Kamala. A thai friend told me that I did not have to worry about them (I did n't), because they would disappear very quickly as people were hunting and eating them.....

And it did not last long....After that I never saw squirrels any more. Well I must say, now, every time I see a nice bird or another animal, I wonder how long they will survive here......So many disappeared allready!!!!!

[Chainsaw]

squirrels...

Would also like to know what their name in English is...

rodents

As a youngster in Sussex my father called them

"Tree Rats"

As a schoolboy The Min. Of Ag. used to hand out 1 shilling for a tail, so

I went out at dawn several times a week to boost my pocket money. Had to be sure of a kill as a cartridge cost 6p.

Then, they were regarded as vermin, and had more or less wiped out the Red Squirrel population. Where can you see a Red today?

There are still some red squirrels in the Lake District but the greys are gradually taking over. Quite sad really.

[KarenBravo]

Here in Phuket, the biggest killer of native wildlife is the domestic cat.

[Jimi007]

Here in Phuket, the biggest killer of native wildlife is the domestic cat.

I think my dog is the biggest killer of native wildlife around my house. I've found dead birds, snakes, squirrels and cats. She leaves the frogs, toads, and geckos alone...

[snamos]

They would be a lot more common if Thais didn't consider them dinner. I back up against the hills in Kamala and have seen a pair of black ones a couple of times.

I was going to say, that I'm glad they're not rare, because I had a squirrel dish served to me the other day.

I'm not so principled that I wouldn't eat it once it had been cooked already, but would be much happier if it wasn't a rare species.

One lady whom i know from Surrathani enjoys hunting them with slingshots and then eating them....i think they would be a lot more common if the locals didnt find them so tasty

[KarenBravo]

I've had a few Thais with air-guns wandering around, too.

Usually, with a couple of dead squirrels tucked into their belt.

[barka]

squirrels...

Would also like to know what their name in English is...

rodents

The grey sguirrels are called TREE RATS the Red ones, which i have never seen here ,are the true ones.i used to have some back in the uk[North Wales] were i lived,they lived on nuts and hibernated in the WINTER...i wonder any one seen the RED ones here in Thailand?

[Logician]

The grey sguirrels are called TREE RATS the Red ones, which i have never seen here ,are the true ones.i used to have some back in the uk[North Wales] were i lived,they lived on nuts and hibernated in the WINTER...i wonder any one seen the RED ones here in Thailand?

Likie I said before, it's not very fair how people hold it against the gray for wiping out the reds. Yes the reds were slightly cuter, but the grays are no more deserving of the name 'tree rats' than the reds were.

They are essentially the exact same creature, it's just that you were alive and remember when one replaced the other. Where as the other billion species that have been and gone, happened when we weren't alive.

I enjoy watching grays in the UK as much as I enjoyed watching reds. In some ways, you have to give them respect for being superior and out living their weaker counterparts. It's how we humans got to be here today after all!