204 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YOSEMITE 



beginning of summer in 1919. Individuals were seen in May of that year 

 near Stoneman Bridge and opposite the base of Rocky Point. Locally the 

 chickaree is known as pine squirrel, Douglas squirrel, and "bummer" 

 squirrel. 



The Sierra Chickaree is characteristically arboreal, and comes to the 

 ground less often even than the California Gray Squirrel. Ordinarily it 

 comes down only when attending to the disposition of cones which it has 

 cut down, when going to drink, and when crossing open spaces between 

 widely separated trees. Whenever possible it travels aloft, through the 

 trees, jumping from one to another across gaps between their adjacent 

 branches. The following account of the behavior of one of these squirrels 

 at Glen Aulin, October 4, 1915, will indicate something of the strong desire 

 of the animal to keep aboveground in the presence of danger. This squirrel, 

 when come upon by one of our party, was on the ground. It ran quickly 

 to the nearest lodgepole pine, ascended about 25 feet, ran out on a branch 

 and jumped to a second tree. There it ascended about 5 feet higher and 

 jumped to a third tree. This tree was separated from other neighboring 

 trees by a distance too great for the animal to negotiate in a jump from 

 branch to branch. The squirrel recognized this fact very quickly after 

 running out on a limb, for almost immediately it returned to the trunk, 

 descended rapidly to the ground, and ran to a fourth tree. This tree, too, 

 was isolated from its neighbors, and the squirrel after climbing a few feet 

 dropped down and ran to a fifth tree from which it was able to make off 

 through the dense forest without having again to come to the ground. 

 These squirrels will climb to the uppermost branches of forest trees, well 

 out of shotgun range. In jumping, the animals can cover 3 or 4 feet at 

 a single leap. 



The Sierra Chickaree is remarkably endowed with 'vocabulary,' and in 

 this respect is far better off than any of the other local squirrels. If the 

 curiosity of a chickaree is piqued by a person's 'squeaking,' or from other 

 cause, the animal will often come within a few feet of the observer and 

 while clinging to the side of a tree by means of its sharp claws will utter 

 a sharp interrogative-sounding note, quer-o or quir-o, every few seconds, 

 accompanying each utterance by a spasmodic jump and a quick jerk of 

 the tail. Not infrequently, if a person sits down under the tree in which 

 one of these squirrels is performing, the animal will keep up this behavior 

 for many minutes, occasionally retiring and then coming back for another 

 look at the intruder and another series of vocal expressions. If the observer 

 happens to jump up suddenly, the startled squirrel usually makes off up 

 the tree, uttering a series of high-pitched squealing notes and 'galloping' 

 so vigorously and rapidly up the trunk that a shower of bark slivers is 

 dislodged as it goes. When undisturbed, off in the depths of the forest. 



