Diary of Manas- Malayan Giant Squirrel and Capped Langur

[Samrat Sarkar]

The next moment it rubbed the Anogenital part of its body on a particular point on the tree for a few moments. If we minutely observe in this picture we will see that it has raised the rear portion of the tail, has bent it back and has forcefully pressed its genital on one spot on a branch of tree.

The researcher Ludek J Dobroruka has written, “Scent marking is frequently seen amongst the Sciuridae (5). In giant squirrels urine marking is very common and conspicuous in both sexes. The anogenital area is pressed to the branch and the animal moves slowly forward as it urinates (Fig. 4). The squirrels may gnaw certain areas, leaving small patches bare of bark, a pattern reminiscent of marking in the Grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis (12). These bare patches are darker than the rest of the branch and rather sticky. The marking points are often checked olfactorally and the urine marks are always renewed. Not only are they impregnated with urine, but they are also marked by rubbing the cheek glands against them.”

It has raised the rear portion of the tail, has bent it back and has forcefully pressed its genital on one spot on a branch of tree.