Abert's squirrel
| Abert's squirrel | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Genus: | Sciurus |
| Subgenus: |
Otosciurus Nelson, 1899 |
| Species: | S. aberti |
| Binomial name | |
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Sciurus aberti Woodhouse, 1853 |
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| Subspecies | |
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Abert's squirrel (or tassel-eared squirrel) (Sciurus aberti) is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus endemic to the Rocky Mountains from United States to Mexico, with concentrations found in Arizona, the Grand Canyon, New Mexico, and southwestern Colorado. It is closely associated with, and largely confined to, cool dry ponderosa pine forests. It is named in honour of the American naturalist John James Abert and nine subspecies are recognised. It is recognisable by its tufted ears, gray color, pale underparts and rufous patch on the lower back. When available, it feeds on the seeds and cones of the Mexican pinyon and the ponderosa pine, but will also take fungi, buds, bark and carrion. Breeding normally takes place in summer, with a spherical nest being built high in the canopy. This is a common species with a wide range and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Abert's squirrel is named after Colonel John James Abert, an American naturalist and military officer who headed the Corps of Topographical Engineers and organized the effort to map the American West in the 19th century.
The currently accepted scientific name for Abert's squirrel is Sciurus aberti Woodhouse. There are nine recognized subspecies including the Kaibab squirrel (S. a. kaibabensis), formerly recognized as a separate species, S. kaibabensis. The nine subspecies are listed in the Distribution section.
Abert's squirrel is confined to the Colorado Plateau and the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico; its range extends south in the Sierra Madre Occidental to Chihuahua and Durango in Mexico. Abert's squirrel also extends a short distance into Wyoming where ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) is present. Abert's squirrels transplanted to the Graham and Santa Catalina mountains of Arizona have established stable populations. Mellott and Choate reported Abert's squirrels present in the Spanish Peaks State Wildlife Area, 43 miles (69 km) southeast of the previously known Abert's squirrel range.
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Wikipedia