Common red squirrel

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Common red squirrel
Common red squirrel

Common red squirrel

Systematics
Subordination : Squirrel relatives (Sciuromorpha)
Family : Squirrel (Sciuridae)
Subfamily : Tree squirrel and flying squirrel (Sciurinae)
Tribe : Tree squirrel (Sciurini)
Genre : Red squirrel ( Tamiasciurus )
Type : Common red squirrel
Scientific name
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
( Erxleben , 1777)

The common red squirrel ( Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ), also called red squirrel, is a rather small member of the squirrel family with a body length of 17 to 23 and a tail length of up to 16 centimeters .

Appearance

The animals have a red-brown fur color on the back, the head as well as the belly and chest area are colored white. The ears are only provided with a very short tuft of fur. The tail is also reddish brown and streaked with thin black and yellow hair; the tip is black. There is a noticeable white ring around the eyes. The very sharp claws serve as a climbing aid for the animals. The weight of the individual animals is between 140 and 360 grams.

Close up of the red squirrel's head

distribution and habitat

The common red squirrel is found in Alaska and Canada with the exception of the far north. In the United States , it is native to the Rocky Mountains , the Appalachians, and south to Pennsylvania , where it inhabits the coniferous forests.

Distribution map of the red squirrel

Way of life

The diurnal animals are tree dwellers, they mainly eat seeds, but also nuts, acorns, cones, buds, fruits, mushrooms, and occasionally bird eggs, nestlings or smaller mice. For the winter, the common red squirrel builds storage chambers up to one meter deep on the ground. In the event of danger, the animals emit a very high-pitched warning sound reminiscent of chirping. The maximum life span of the animals is approx. 10 years.

A red squirrel in winter
Red squirrel eating a pine cone

Reproduction

The first mating season of the squirrels is in February or March, the second in June or July. During the mating season, the males fight very aggressively over the females. The time of conception for the female is only one day. After mating, the males leave the females again. After a gestation period of five weeks, two to seven naked and blind young are born, which the female suckles for up to seven weeks; the boys do not open their eyes until they are two to three weeks old. At the age of two months, the boys leave their parents' territory and look for their own. Depending on the availability of food, the female can have two litters a year. The animals reach sexual maturity at the age of one year.

Danger

Since this species is widespread and no threats are known, it is listed by the IUCN as Least Concern . In Canada, the animals are hunted locally as a supplier of fur.

supporting documents

  • Sonnhild Bischoff, Dr. Helga Hofmann, Ursula Knopp, Angelika Lang: New Large Animal Lexicon in Color , Publisher: Compact Verlag Munich 2000, p. 324, ISBN 3-8174-5080-X .
  • Fascination Animal & Nature (collective folder): Card: 296 Rothörnchen, Publisher: IMP / Meister Verlag GmbH Munich, Package 86 056020 086 a.

Web links

Commons : Common Red Squirrel  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files