Japanese squirrel

Buries nuts such as acorns in the ground to "cache" food.

Scientific name	Sciurus lis
English name	Japanese squirrel
Japanese name	日本栗鼠
Class	Mammalia
Order	Rodentia
Family	Sciuridae
Genus	Sciurus
Species	lis
Full length	Approx. 16-22cm
Distribution	Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu

Japanese squirrel Characteristics and Morphology

A squirrel with brown or reddish-brown fur.
Large ears that grow tufts of hair at the tips during winter. The Japanese squirrel is very similar to the Pallas's squirrel. The Japanese squirrel has a white belly, whereas the Pallas's squirrel has a brown one. The Pallas's squirrel is also slightly larger, sometimes exceeding 40cm in total length.

Japanese squirrel Ecology

Habitat

Lives in coniferous forests from Honshu to Kyushu.

Food

Omnivorous, eating plant seeds, fruits, and buds, as well as mushrooms and arthropods.

Life Cycle

Active year-round without hibernating. Lives for about 3-5 years and breeds once or twice a year through spring.

Japanese squirrel Photos

Japanese squirrel Photos are introduced.
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Japanese squirrel Behavior

Primarily arboreal, active in the morning and evening. They rest in nests at night. They move quickly and emit alarm calls to threaten when they sense danger. They live within a home range of about 10 hectares; it is known that the ranges of females do not overlap. They "cache" food in the ground or between branches to prepare for winter. The sight of them skillfully cracking hard walnut shells with their front teeth is impressive.

Japanese squirrel Information

Foxes and birds of prey are their natural enemies, but in recent years, their population has declined due to the loss of forest habitats. They are believed to have gone extinct in the Chugoku and Kyushu regions.

Japanese squirrel Found Locations

Inokashira Park

You can observe them up close in the "Squirrel Path" (Risu no Komichi) within the Inokashira Park Zoo. They sometimes cross right in front of visitors while moving between feeding areas. As many as five squirrels may be inside a single nest box, and the sight of them peeking out from the round entrance is popular. The entrance to the "Squirrel Path" has double doors to prevent them from escaping.

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