American red squirrel

Facts

IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)

Facts about this animal

The American red squirrel is one of the smaller tree squirrels, heand and body measuring 16-23 cm, and the tail 9-16 cm. Body-weight ranges from about 140-310 grams.

Like in its Eurasian cousin, the colour of the fur is highly variable depending of region and season. The upper parts are usually brownish or olive-red. During the summer, a black stripe runs along their side, separating the upper parts from the white or creamy belly. The tail, which is is not as thick or bushy as in other North American tree squirrels, is often edged with white. There are white bands encircling their large, black eyes.

American red squirrels are well adapted for climbing and running through the trees with their compact, muscled bodies, strong claws, and powerful hind limbs, but they also spend much time on the ground. An individual usually has several nests, which may either be loosely constructed tree nests, holes in a tree trunk or weather-tight winter nests constructed in the densest foliage of a tree.

Breeding seasons vary depending of the climatic zone. After a gestation periond of 33-35 days, the female gives birth, in a lined den or tree hollow, to a litter of 1 to 8, typically 2 to 5 young. The young develop very quickly and are weaned 7 to 8 weeks after birth.

American red squirrels feed on acorns, hazelnuts, other seeds of deciduous trees, berries, fruit, shoots, birds' eggs, mushorooms, and strips conifer cones to get at the seeds within, or occasionally may remove the bark of trees to get access to the tree sap. They also take fledglings, mice and even young rabbits.

Did you know?
that American red squirrels can swim failry well and voluntarily enter water to reach an opposite shore?

Factsheet
Class	MAMMALIA
Order	RODENTIA
Suborder	SCIUROMORPHA
Family	SCIURIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Name (English)	American red squirrel
Name (French)	Ecureuil rouge américain
Name (German)	Amerikanisches Rothörnchen
Name (Spanish)	Ardilla roja americana
CITES Status	Not listed
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
John Plaistow

Distribution

Distribution
Range	North America
Habitat	In coniferous, mixed coniferous, and deciduous forests
Wild population	With the exception of the subspecies T. h. grahamensis (200-300 individuals occurring in one, isolated location) the American red squirrel is common and widespread.
Zoo population	4 reported to ISIS

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 79 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
D. Gordon E. Robertson

Why do zoos keep this animal

Tree squirrels are among the species which readily choose the zoo as their habitat and become habituated to humans. In their North American range, there is, therefore, hardly a need for keeping American red squirrels in cages, and as a matter of fact almost none are reproted to ISIS. All photos on this page show free-living American red squirrels at Canadian National Parks.

How this animal should be kept

American red squirrels are solitary animals and should be kept singly, in pairs or in small groups of compatible animals, e.g. siblings, preferably with two adjoining enclosures allowing for separating the animals as necessary.

Minimum space requirement for a cage is 8 m²x 2 m high. However, cages of this minimum size do not make good exhibits. Squirrels are better presented in larger cages, at least 4 m high, with an adjoining observation hut, where the visitors can watch the animals through a glass panel, or in an open enclosure confined by 2.5 m high walls or glass panels, possibly with a hot wire on top.

Enclosures for American red squirrels must be amply furnished with branches or other climbing opportunities, and they need nest boxes for sleeping.

The diet of American red squirrels consists of nuts, acorns, sunflower and other seeds, fir cones, fruit, carrots, and branches in leaf, supplemented with some animal protein. Water should be permanently available.