The Malabar giant squirrel ( Ratufa indica ) is the peacock butterfly of the rodent fellowship . Unlike its " Plain Jane " cousin the easterly gray-haired squirrel ( Sciurus carolinensis ) , the aureate critter sports a technicolor coating hold back a mix of burgundy , rust , ochre , and even hues of maroon and purpleness .
Now , thanks to an over-the-top series of photos capture by amateur photographer Kaushik Vijayan , the Internet is getting the chance to admire the Malabar ’s coat in all its fine glory .
" Up until that point I had never heard about a squirrel like that or seen one , " said Vijayan , The Independentreports .
" The batch was an absolute feast for my eye . The squirrels intrigue me and I got excited to capture this sweetheart on my television camera . "
Vijayan chance upon his muse during a trip to the Pathanamthitta District in southwestern India . He later send the pic on Instagram to apportion with the humanity .
( Here , it seems , the already remarkable coloring has been amped up and oversaturated for an even more dramatic effect , there are very few animal that are naturally blue in nature . )
The Malabar jumbo squirrel , also call in shekru , is a species of squirrel endemic to India . While this picky stunner appears to assume naughty and blood-red - majestic tinged fur , gloss like beige , dark-brown , and rust are much more coarse .
It is possible that like a peacock , the coloring is designed for a likely teammate ’s benefit . It is also possible that is intended to act as disguise in the sun - dappled canopy .
But it is not just their incredibly - colored coat that crap these animals so special . Although it is heavy to tell apart from the above photographs , these animals can attain lengths of 3 feet , or just diffident of a cadence , promontory to chase after . Hence , the " whale " in their name . ( Thishilarious videoof a monkey endeavor to agitate one out of a tree diagram as it ’s eat all the good yield gives a sense of size . )
That makes them longer than youraverage domesticated cat .
It is no surprisal , then , that Maharashtra chose to make these Pokémon - esque creatures its Department of State animal .
" I felt so amazed by how send packing - dead gorgeous it see , " Vijayan toldCBS News . " It was indeed a jaw - dropping sight to lay eyes on . "
