The Nilgiri Striped Squirrel aka Nilgiri Palm Squirrel (Funambulus sublineatus) is one of the most interesting and unique rodent species endemic to the S. Western Ghats and Nilgiris.
It is a small squirrel with conspicuous stripes on its body, very rare, shy and pesky. It probably is the smallest in the genus weighing about 40g.
The upper body is brownish-gray, underbelly is lighter in colour. They have a dark stripe that runs from their head to their tail, with white patches above and below the stripe. They have bushy tails that are almost as long as their body. They have sharp claws and a pointed snout. Eyes are large and dark, and ears are small and round.
It used to be called as Dusky Palm squirrel earlier , now considered as a separate species (F. obscurus) found only in S.Lanka.
The IUCN lists the Nilgiri striped squirrel as being Vulnerable.
Shot in Coorg, Feb 2026 © Dr. Bishan Monnappa
