Abert's Squirrel

Abert's Squirrel

Tassel-eared squirrel

Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Subgenus
SPECIES
Sciurus aberti
Population size
Unknown
Life Span
7 years
Weight
540-971
19-34.3
goz
g oz 
Length
46-58
18.1-22.8
cminch
cm inch 

Abert's squirrel (Sciurus aberti) is a tree squirrel native to North America. It lives in pine forests and favors the seeds and cones of the Mexican pinyon and the ponderosa pine. It is named in honor of the American naturalist John James Abert.

Di

Diurnal

He

Herbivore

Fo

Folivore

Gr

Granivore

Li

Lignivore

My

Mycophage

Ar

Arboreal

Al

Altricial

Sc

Scansorial

Te

Terrestrial

Vi

Viviparous

Po

Polygynandry

So

Social

No

Not a migrant

A

starts with

Appearance

Abert's squirrels are easily recognized by their long ear tufts, which extend up from each ear. This gives this species a striking similarity to the Eurasian red squirrel, aside from its differing dark coloration. Abert's squirrels vary in color across their range. Most populations have a gray coat with a reddish stripe down the back, a dark stripe along the side, and a white underbelly. Some populations lack the reddish back stripe, instead having fully gray upperparts. A fully black color morph is present in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Abert's squirrels on Arizona's Kaibab Plateau, commonly known as Kaibab squirrels, have black underparts and a striking white tail.

Video

Distribution

Geography

Abert's squirrels are distributed throughout the southwestern United States and the north central Mexico, where these animals occur in scattered populations. Thus, the United States hold 4 isolated populations of this species, two of which are considerably large, while the other two are small. In Mexico, Abert's squirrels are presented by two large but isolated populations. The ideal habitat of this species is mountainous areas, dominated by ponderosa pine tree. In the past, Abert's squirrels were mistakenly thought to be dependent on this tree. In fact, they just rely heavily on it.

Climate zones

Habits and Lifestyle

Abert’s squirrels do not appear to be territorial. Usually, multiple individuals may share the same nest. Meanwhile, each individual can use more than a single nest. They are diurnal. Active period of the day starts just before sunrise, lasting until just before sunset. Living among ponderosa trees, these animals occur in large concentrations of 2 - 114 squirrels per square kilometer. They are solitary foragers, spending their daytime hours looking for food. No information is available on whether they have any hibernation or torpor habits. In the beginning of the breeding season, which occurs in spring months, these squirrels display a highly social behavior. During the rest of the year, they are typically less social. Abert's squirrels communicate with conspecifics through vocal, visual, touch, smell and taste. Vocalizations include characteristic high-pitched clucks, barks, screeches and squeals, which are easily distinguished from these of other squirrels.

Seasonal behavior

Diet and Nutrition

Abert's squirrels are herbivores, they primarily feed upon certain parts of the ponderosa pine: during the warm season of the year, they consume seeds and buds of this tree, whereas the winter diet typically consists of the inner bark of the ponderosa pine. They are also known to supplement their usual diet with occasional mistletoe and fungi.

Mating Habits

MATING BEHAVIOR
REPRODUCTION SEASON
late February-early June
PREGNANCY DURATION
43 days
BABY CARRYING
1-5 kittens
INDEPENDENT AGE
10 weeks
FEMALE NAME
doe
MALE NAME
buck
BABY NAME
pup, kit, kitten

Abert’s squirrels are polygynandrous (promiscuous): this is when both males and females have multiple mates. During the mating season, males display aggressive behavior towards each other. A pack of males can follow a female through the forest for about 11 hours by day, led by the dominant male. Abert’s squirrels mate between late February and early June. Gestation period lasts for 43 days, yielding 1 - 5 babies with an average of 3 per litter. Newborn squirrels lack fur and come with closed eyes. Males of this species display no parental care except for guarding their mates after mating. At 7 weeks old, the young begin climbing down to the ground. Weaning occurs after 10 weeks old, whereas sexual maturity is reached by 11 months old.

Population

Population threats

In spite of being classified as Least Concern, this species is threatened by living in isolated populations, depending on the distribution of ponderosa pine. Another notable concern is habitat destruction by clear-cutting throughout large areas of their natural range.

Population number

According to IUCN, the Abert’s squirrel is widely distributed and abundant at some localities but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) and its numbers remain stable.

Ecological niche

Due to relying on the ponderosa pines, these animals have hugely affected this tree, which is their main source of food and shelter. On the other hand, they have negatively affected Mount Graham red squirrels, inhabiting the Pinaleño Mountains (Arizona): Abert's squirrels were introduced to the habitat of endangered red squirrels, which consequently led to a harsh resource competition between these two species.

Fun Facts for Kids

  • Squirrels are highly intelligent animals. Moreover, they are known to be extremely adaptable and acrobatic creatures. For example, hanging a bird feeder in your garden, you will definitely have to struggle with squirrels of the area.
  • These animals accumulate extra weight, which helps them keep warm during the winter.
  • The word 'squirrel' originates from Greek and means ‘shadow tail’.
  • The hind limbs of squirrels are extremely flexible, allowing them to quickly and easily climb up and down, when moving in trees.
  • They have five toes on their hind legs and four - on the forelegs. The toes on the hind feet are very sharp, helping them grip tree bark with ease when climbing.
  • Squirrels are presented by as many as 285 species around the globe, except for Antarctica and Australia.

Coloring Pages

References

1. Abert's Squirrel Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abert%27s_squirrel
2. Abert's Squirrel on The IUCN Red List site - http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/42461/0

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