Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 22, 2026

Red-bellied squirrel

The red-bellied squirrel or Sulawesi giant squirrel is a species of squirrel. Until recently, it was described as a species in the genus Callosciurus, but since the 1990s it is generally placed in its own genus Rubrisciurus. It is endemic on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, where it is widespread. It has also been found on Sangir Island to the north of Sulawesi. With a length of 25 cm, it is rather large for a squirrel. It lives in the tree tops of the rainforests of the island.

Last revised
Jun 22, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
198 w
Citations
1
Source
Red-bellied squirrel
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Placentalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Subfamily: Callosciurinae
Genus: Rubrisciurus
Ellerman, 1954
Species:
R. rubriventer
Binomial name
Rubrisciurus rubriventer
Location of Sulawesi (Celebes), Indonesia
Location of Sulawesi (Celebes), Indonesia source ↗

The red-bellied squirrel or Sulawesi giant squirrel (Rubrisciurus rubriventer) is a species of squirrel. Until recently, it was described as a species in the genus Callosciurus, but since the 1990s it is generally placed in its own genus Rubrisciurus. It is endemic on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, where it is widespread. It has also been found on Sangir Island to the north of Sulawesi. With a length of 25 cm (head and body), it is rather large for a squirrel. It lives in the tree tops of the rainforests of the island.

References

References

  1. Helgen, K. & Aplin, K. (2008). "Rubrisciurus rubriventer". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. IUCN: e.T19762A9011990. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T19762A9011990.en. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  • Thorington, R. W. Jr. and R. S. Hoffman. 2005. Family Sciuridae. pp. 754–818 in Mammal Species of the World a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder eds. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.