Monday 4 December 2000

Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

OTHER NAMES: Eastern Fox Squirrel, Bryant's Fox-Squirrel
Latin Etymology: Sciurus ("squirrel") niger ("black")

Adult Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) at Berkeley, California - August 2022

Featured Subspecies: Unknown (introduced population)
Weight: 450-1130g  /  Length: 50-72cm
NO UK STATUS IUCN Red List: Least Concern 

A distinctively orange squirrel which gives them their name, the Fox Squirrel is originally a species of the Eastern USA, but introductions have lead to it having populations in other places, such as California where I saw them. They favour oak, hickory, walnut, pecan and pine trees, but can be found in a wide range of forested habitats.

Related Species:
Order: Rodentia 
Family: Sciuridae 
Genus: Sciurus 
SUBSPECIES: S. n. niger, S. n. avicinnia, S n. bachmani, S. n. cubeeus, S. n. limitis, S. n. ludovicianus, S. n. rufiventer, S. n. shermani, S. n. subauratus, S. n. vulpinus

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 
Range centred round the Mississipi Basin, with introduced populations elsewhere
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at San Francisco and Berkeley


Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

No comments:

Post a Comment