| Pine squirrels Tamiasciurus Temporal range: Middle Pleistocene - Recent | |
|---|---|
) | |
| American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Tribe: | Sciurini |
| Genus: | Tamiasciurus Trouessart, 1880 |
| Species[1] | |
Pine squirrels are squirrels of the genus Tamiasciurus, in the Sciurini tribe, of the large family Sciuridae.
Species
This genus includes three species:
- Tamiasciurus hudsonicus — American red squirrel
- Tamiasciurus douglasii — Douglas squirrel
- Tamiasciurus mearnsi — Mearns's squirrel
All three species are native to North America. Pine squirrels can be found in the northern and western United States, most of Canada, Alaska, and northwestern Mexico.
Description
Pine squirrels, Tamiasciurus species, are small tree squirrels with bushy tails. Along with members of the genus Sciurus, they are members of the Sciurini tribe.
The name Tamiasciurus comes from the Greek "Ταμίας" "Σκίουρος" for "hoarder squirrel".
The American red squirrel should not be confused with the Eurasian red squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris — both are usually just referred to as the "red squirrel" in their home continents.
Pine squirrels rely on a variety of food sources including fungi, plants, arthropods and tree seed. [2]
References
- ^ Thorington, R.W., Jr.; Hoffmann, R.S. (2005). "Family Sciuridae". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference (3rd ed.). The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 754–818. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4. OCLC 26158608.
- ^ McKeever, Sturgis (1964). "Food Habits of the Pine Squirrel in Northeastern California". The Journal of Wildlife Management. 28 (2): 402–404. doi:10.2307/3798105. ISSN 0022-541X. JSTOR 3798105.
External links