Red-Bellied Tree Squirrel (Chifu Songshu)
Red-Bellied Tree Squirrels (Chifu Songshu) are the commonest squirrels in Taiwan. They have a red belly, red limbs (underneath), a fluffy dark-brown tail intermingled with white, and a dark-brown back. The eyes are big and round and the ears are short and round. Due to their fluffy tails, the squirrels are also called "Fluffy Mouse" (Pengchu). They are usually active at dawn and dusk, and can be seen jumping and running within the woods. They have this habit of burying their "leftovers" underground, but they very often forget about it, and those underground seeds have the opportunity to sprout in the coming year, which indirectly help plants with their dissemination. In springtime when their favorite plants become insufficient to them, Red-Bellied Tree Squirrels will peel tree bark with their teeth, and nibble the trunks and branches and leave stripy marks on them.