• Irene Kezia Lois
• Lourdhu Mary A

The three-striped palm squirrels (Funambulus palmarum) are arboreal and opportunistic animals. They are diurnal and exhibit various activities in the daytime followed by a period of inactiveness in the night. The squirrels are omnivores and show wide range of food preferences and feeding strategies. The diurnal activity patterns, food preferences and feeding strategies exhibited by the three-striped palm squirrels were studied using focal animal sampling method across different seasons in Anna Nagar, Madurai for a duration of three months from December 5, 2021 to March 4, 2022. From the results it is seen that the squirrels showed bimodal patterns of diurnal activities which had two distinct peaks in the morning and the evening. The squirrels highly preferred the foods provided by humans rather than natural vegetation and insects which describes the boldness or risk-taking behavior of the squirrels. Gnawing of foods was frequently opted as a feeding strategy. The squirrels were found to adapt to the available resources irrespective of the seasonal changes.

Physiological adaptations, diurnal activities, running, climbing, jumping, resting, natural vegetation, supplemented food, gnawing, caching, scavenging

"THE DIURNAL ACTIVITY PATTERNS AND FORAGING BEHAVIOUR OF THREE-STRIPED PALM SQUIRREL FUNAMBULUS PALMARUM ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.9, Issue 12, page no.f414-f421, December-2022, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2212550.pdf

"THE DIURNAL ACTIVITY PATTERNS AND FORAGING BEHAVIOUR OF THREE-STRIPED PALM SQUIRREL FUNAMBULUS PALMARUM ", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.9, Issue 12, page no. ppf414-f421, December-2022, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2212550.pdf