Black-eared squirrel

The brown dwarf squirrel or black ear squirrel ( Nannosciurus melanotis ) is a small squirrel Southeast Asia. It is located on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo, as well as some smaller surrounding islands.

This croissant is with a body length of 9 cm and a tail length of 7 cm no bigger than a mouse. The velvety coat color is variable, while gray and brown tones occur, often with reddish overflight. What is striking is the white face markings.

The brown dwarf squirrel is a diurnal inhabitants of the tropical rainforest. It lives in small groups of two or three individuals who live on the ground or at least near the ground.

Today, the brown dwarf squirrel is classified as the sole representative of its genus Nannosciurus. In older literature, one finds also the Asian dwarf squirrel placed in the same genus. The similarities are according to current knowledge, however, only on the outside, and both taxa are not particularly closely related.