Mount Graham red squirrel
| Mount Graham red squirrel | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Genus: | Tamiasciurus |
| Species: | Tamiasciurus hudsonicus |
| Subspecies: | T. h. grahamensis |
| Trinomial name | |
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Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis (J. A. Allen, 1894) |
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The Mount Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis) is an endangered subspecies of the American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) native to the Pinaleño Mountains of Arizona. It is smaller than most other subspecies of red squirrel, and also does not have the white-fringed tail that is common to the species. Its diet consists mainly of mixed seeds, conifer cones and air-dried fungi. It exhibits similar behavior to other squirrels in its species.
The Mount Graham red squirrel is a generally tiny squirrel weighing on average around 8 ounces (230 g) and measuring about 8 inches (20 cm) in length. The subspecies also has a 6 inches (15 cm) tail. Unlike most other squirrels in its species, the squirrels do not have a white-fringed tail. Both females and males share similar markings and features and are typically grayish brown in color with rusty yellow or orange markings on their backside. During the winter season the squirrels ears are tufted with fur, and during the summer a black lateral line is observed on the squirrel. The skull of the subspecies is rounded and its teeth are low-crowned.
Mount Graham red squirrels behave in a manner similar to most other subspecies of American red squirrel. They are diurnal and do not hibernate during the winter months, but instead carry out activities in the mid-day sun. Mount Graham squirrels usually eat a diet of mixed seeds, conifer cones and air-dried fungi.
Historically, the Mount Graham red squirrel inhabited about 11,750 acres (47.6 km2) of spruce-fir, mixed-conifer and ecotone zone habitats that were generally at higher elevations throughout the Pinaleño Mountains. Recent data shows that it occurs more frequently at the ecotone zone than the other habitats. When choosing a potential nesting site, the squirrels typically pick a cool, moist area with an abundance of food sources.Drought, forest fires, and insect infestation have been responsible for a decrease of the squirrel in the spruce-fir habitat.
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Wikipedia