ABOVE: Bornean Black-banded Squirrel Callosciurus orestes  photographed at Kinabalu Park HQ.  Seven species of tree squirrels, 3 ground squirrels and three species of flying Squirrels have been recorded from the forest around Park HQ.  This is the most diverse assemblage of co-occurring squirrels  found anywhere in the world and is obviously related to the fact that Kinabalu hosts the most diverse forest in the world.

The squirrels that a visitor is most likely to see around Kinabalu Park HQ and  on the summit trail  are the three generalist species  that are attracted to dustbins and feed on human food scraps;  In order of  abundance these are;

Bornean Mountain Ground Squirrel Dremomys everetti

Black-banded Squirrel Callosciurus orestes

Jentink’s Squirrel Sundasciurus jentinki

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This Black-banded Squirrel was feeding on a dense trail of tiny reddish ants  which stretched from the base of this tree trunk into the canopy. Many ants nest in the ground often under the base of a tree but forage in the canopy of the same tree. Travelling from home to work and back  is obviously highly dangerous for these ants !

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