About Callosciurus finlaysonii (Horsfield, 1823)
Finlayson's squirrel, also called the variable squirrel, with the scientific name Callosciurus finlaysonii (Horsfield, 1823), is a rodent species belonging to the family Sciuridae. It is native to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. This species lives in a wide variety of wooded habitats, which also includes gardens and urban parks in cities such as Bangkok. The species was named to honor George Finlayson, a Scottish naturalist and traveller. It has many subspecies that differ widely in appearance. One subspecies, C. f. bocourti (which has the synonym C. f. floweri), has been introduced to Singapore and two regions in Italy. This introduction likely happened because the species is popular in the pet trade. It is possible that some Callosciurus squirrels introduced to Japan are also Finlayson's squirrels. Finlayson's squirrel has also been introduced to the Philippines, specifically in the Greater Manila area, where it is classified as an invasive species.
