What is "plantain squirrel"

Plantain \Plan"tain\, n. [Cf. F. plantain-arbre, plantanier, Sp. pl['a]ntano, pl['a]tano; prob. same word as plane tree.]

1. (Bot.) A treelike perennial herb ( Musa paradisiaca) of tropical regions, bearing immense leaves and large clusters of the fruits called plantains. See Musa.

2. The fruit of this plant. It is long and somewhat cylindrical, slightly curved, and, when ripe, soft, fleshy, and covered with a thick but tender yellowish skin. The plantain is a staple article of food in most tropical countries, especially when cooked.

   Plantain cutter, or Plantain eater (Zo["o]l.), any one of several large African birds of the genus Musophaga, or family Musophagid[ae], especially Musophaga violacea. See Turaco. They are allied to the cuckoos.

   Plantain squirrel (Zo["o]l.), a Java squirrel ( Sciurus plantani) which feeds upon plantains.

   Plantain tree (Bot.), the treelike herb Musa paradisiaca. See def. 1 (above).

The plantain squirrel, oriental squirrel or tricoloured squirrel, Callosciurus notatus is a species of rodents in the family Sciuridae found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand in a wide range of habitats: forests, mangroves, parks, gardens, and agricultural areas. Fruit farmers consider them to be pests.

Its body is about 20–30 cm long with a similar-sized tail. It is greyish/brown with a chestnut belly and a black and white stripe between the two. The genus name Callosciurus means beautiful squirrels.

Its diet consists mostly of leaves and fruits, but it also eats insects and bird eggs. It is known to break open twigs that contain ant larvae to eat them. It can eat fruits much bigger than itself, such as mangoes, jackfruit, or coconuts. It is very quick and agile in trees, able to jump a few metres between trees, and rarely wanders on the ground.

Kloss's squirrel (Callosciurus albescens) is sometimes considered a subspecies.