Rare picture of squirrel

Scientists have recently discovered an exotic ground squirrel in the forest on Borneo island in Indonesia, Brunei and Malaysia.

Accordingly, the squirrel with the scientific name Rheithrosciurus macrotis is twice the size of most other squirrels and has "blood-sucking" properties . Not only that, this rodent mammal has a " big " tail - up to 35cm long when ruffled.

Recorded image of Rheithrosciurus macrotis in Borneo forest

This feature makes Rheithrosciurus macrotis one of the species with the largest tail difference in the world.

"The tail of Rheithrosciurus macrotis is 30% larger than their body weight," said mammal researcher Melissa Hawkins of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington .

Picture of the species Rheithrosciurus macrotis

There are quite a lot of animals with large, bulky tails than the body such as striped squirrel, squirrel squirrel (capable of gliding, gliding in the air like clever roller coaster) .

Almost all squirrels use their ruffled tails like an umbrella, helping to "land" safely on the ground. Upon meeting the enemy, their tail stood up, acting like a ship's rudder, balancing for the jump.

Image Rheithrosciurus macrotis is very similar to the character Scrat in the movie Ice Age

Further understanding, Erik Meijaard - who participated in the research, tells a local legend about the extremely terrifying Rheithrosciurus macrotis.

They mostly eat giant oak seeds and are very fond of prey - animals larger than them. Hunters said that the squirrel Rheithrosciurus macrotis often parked on low branches and jumped on the deer's back, biting into its veins and sucking blood.

The zoologist Roland Kays said that this is just a fantasy story. However, the experts are still interested in the story and are still learning about this unique squirrel.