pine squirrel
{{Short description|Genus of rodents}}
{{Clear}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| name = Pine squirrels
| fossil_range = Middle Pleistocene - Recent
| image = Tamiasciurus hudsonicus 001.jpg
| image_caption = American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)
| taxon = Tamiasciurus
| authority = Trouessart, 1880
| type_species = [Sciurus vulgaris] hudsonicus
| type_species_authority = Erxleben, 1777
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision_ref = {{MSW3 Sciuridae | id=12400001 | pages = 754–818 | heading = Family Sciuridae | author = Thorington, R.W. Jr.}}
| subdivision = *Tamiasciurus douglasii
}}
Pine squirrels are squirrels of the genus Tamiasciurus, in the Sciurini tribe, of the large family Sciuridae.
Species
This genus includes three species:{{Citation|last=Mammal Diversity Database|title=Mammal Diversity Database|date=2021-08-10|doi=10.5281/zenodo.5175993 |url=https://zenodo.org/record/5175993|access-date=2021-09-11}}
- Tamiasciurus douglasii — Douglas squirrel
- T. d. mearnsi — Mearns's squirrel
- Tamiasciurus fremonti — southwestern red squirrel{{Cite web|title=Tamiasciurus fremonti (Audubon & Bachman, 1853)|url=https://www.mammaldiversity.org/explore.html#genus=Tamiasciurus&species=fremonti&id=1001705|access-date=2021-09-10|website=www.mammaldiversity.org}}
- T. f. grahamensis — Mount Graham red squirrel
- Tamiasciurus hudsonicus — American red 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 Greek wiktionary:ταμίας tamías ‘steward, dispenser’ and wiktionary:σκίουρος skíouros '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.{{Cite journal|last=McKeever|first=Sturgis|date=1964|title=Food Habits of the Pine Squirrel in Northeastern California|journal=The Journal of Wildlife Management|volume=28|issue=2|pages=402–404|doi=10.2307/3798105|issn=0022-541X|jstor=3798105}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline|Tamiasciurus|Tamiasciurus (pine squirrel)}}
- {{Wikispecies-inline|Tamiasciurus}}
{{S. Sciurinae1 nav}}
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Category:Rodents of the United States
Category:Taxa named by Édouard Louis Trouessart
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