We’re NUTS over our new arrivals!

The Virginia ZooFarm residents are getting squirrelly over their new friends, Diana and Kelapa. These two new additions are Prevost squirrels, native to Asia specifically the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, and the East Indies. 

Female squirrel, Diana, was born May 13, 2020, and weighs approximately 13 ounces. Male squirrel, Kelapa, was born on March 29, 2019, and weighs just 1 pound. This arboreal species is also called the “tri-colored squirrel” for its unique and colorful fur pattern. The top of their body and entire tail is black, while the underpart of their body is chestnut brown. A white line separates the two colors. From nose to tip of the tail, squirrels are approximately 20 inches. They both completed a routine quarantine period and wellness exams before being introduced to one another in their exhibit at the ZooFarm.

Diana and Kelapa arrived at the Virginia Zoo as a part of the Species Survival Plan. As a breeding pair, they can have up to three litters per year consisting of one or two young on average. The life span for Prevost squirrels is 10-15 years. 

Diana and Kelapa can be distinguished by their size and personalities. Kelapa is outgoing, bold, adventurous, and is slightly larger with a fluffier tail. He also tends to eat his food while hanging upside down from his hind legs. Diana, is shy, cautious, independent, and smaller in size. They both like to sleep in the wooden nest boxes, chew bamboo sticks and hide in their baskets filled with hay.

See the newest additions at the ZooFarm in their exhibit next to the yellow barn. The Virginia Zoo is open daily from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm. Advance reservations required.

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