American Red Squirrel #5

by J McCombie

Title

American Red Squirrel #5

Artist

J McCombie

Medium

Photograph - Untouched

Description

This piece has been featured in the FAA Group, "Squirrel Photography".
The American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is one of three species of tree squirrels currently classified in the genus Tamiasciurus, known as the pine squirrels (the others are the Douglas squirrel, T. douglasii, and Mearns's squirrel, T. mearnsi). American red squirrels are also referred to as pine squirrels, North American red squirrels, and chickarees. They are small, 200–250 g (7.1–8.8 oz), diurnal mammals that defend a year-round exclusive territory. They feed primarily on the seeds of conifer cones, and are widely distributed across North America wherever conifers are common, except on the Pacific Coast of the United States, where they are replaced by Douglas squirrels. They are not found on most of the Great Plains or in the southeastern United States as conifer trees are not common in those areas. Recently, American red squirrels have been expanding their range to include primarily hardwood areas.
American red squirrels should not be confused with Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris); since the ranges of these species do not overlap, they are both commonly referred to as "red squirrels" in the areas where they are native. The specific epithet hudsonicus refers to Hudson Bay, Canada, where the species was first catalogued by Erxleben in 1771. A recent phylogeny suggests the squirrels as a family can be divided into five major lineages. Red squirrels (Tamiasciurus) fall within the clade that includes flying squirrels and other tree squirrels (e.g., Sciurus). There are 25 recognized subspecies of red squirrels.
Red squirrels can be easily distinguished from other North American tree squirrels by their smaller size, 28–35 cm (11–14 in) total length (including tail), territorial behavior, and reddish fur with a white venter (underbelly). Red squirrels are somewhat larger than chipmunks. The Douglas squirrel is morphologically similar to the American red squirrels, but has a rust-colored venter and is restricted to the southwestern coast of British Columbia and in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. These species' ranges do not overlap.
American red squirrels are widely distributed across the North American continent. Their range includes most of Canada, excluding northern areas with no tree cover, the islands of Atlantic Canada (Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton and Newfoundland), the southern half of Alberta and the southwestern coast of British Columbia; the southern half part of Alaska; the Rocky Mountains area of the United States, and northern half of the eastern United States. American red squirrels are abundant and not of conservation concern throughout much of their range. However, an isolated population of red squirrels in Arizona has experienced considerable declines in population size. In 1987, this portion of the population was listed as an endangered species.
The red squirrel eats a wide-variety of foods including insects, seeds, bark, nuts, fruits, mushrooms and pine seeds or cones. Sometimes it eats insects, young birds, mice and rabbits. A large part of its diet is made up of pine seeds.

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August 23rd, 2018

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