Site icon MAMMALS OF BORNEO

Bornean Pigmy Squirrel nest at Meriuk Farm Stay, Brunei

uluulublog

Jungle Dave holding the nest of a Bornean Pigmy Squirrel Exilisciurus exilis at Meriuk Farm Stay Brunei.  This nest was abandoned  and the two youngsters removed to a nearby location by their parents after a pair of Pied Hornbills started  to investigate the  building probably looking for geckos to eat.

Note that nest is almost exactly the same size and shape as  the nest of a sunbird or flowerpecker but quite loosely built so that a  tiny squirrel could wriggle through the wall if necessary to escape.

 

The nest was not very well concealed  on top of an electricity meter at Meriuk Farm Stay, Tutong, Brunei.
The pigmy squirrels  at Meriuk spend most of the day feeding on flakes of bark on this  Lansium domesticum (Local name Langsat). Langsat is a common orchard tree throughout Borneo.  According to Caroline Pannell an expert on the Meliacea plant family the bark of Langsat is poisonous and has been used for arrow poison.
The bark of Langsat is very flaky and detaches easily without damaging the tree.

 

Exit mobile version