THE ABERT'S SQUIRREL. 



(Sciurus aberti.\ 



Abert's Squirrel is one of the hand- 

 somest as well as one of the largest of the 

 American squirrels. Its range extends 

 from central Colorado, southward 

 through Arizona and New Mexico into 

 Mexico. It is abundant in nearly every 

 part of this region which is suited to its 

 habits. The pine-covered sides of moun- 

 tain ranges are its favorite feeding 

 grounds, and it is rarely seen in other 

 localities. Its food consists chiefly of 

 pine seeds, but it also eats the acorns of 

 the oaks which grow in the openings. 



The beauty of Abert's Squirrel is 

 greatly enhanced by its long, full tail and 

 the tuft of hairs which crowns its high 

 and narrow ears. These hairs are di- 

 rected upward and sometimes form a 

 pencil fully as long as the height of the 

 ear. The tufts, however, vary greatly 

 in length and may be entirely absent, for 

 they are shed in the spring and the new 

 growths do not obtain their full develop- 

 ment until early winter. The fur is 

 long, full and soft. The typical color on 

 the upper half of the body is a bluish 

 gray ; on the back, there is a stripe of 

 reddish or chestnut brown fur extending 

 from the shoulders to the base of the 

 tail ; on the under side of the body, the 

 fur is pure white in color and is sepa- 

 rated from the gray of the back by a 

 more or less distinct black line. Individ- 

 uals, however, vary greatly in color. 

 They will vary from a reddish-brown to 

 a uniform black, throughout. 



In spite of the fact that in its forest 

 retreat it is well protected and is seldom 



molested by man, "it is often a shy and 

 wary species, and when it discovers an 

 intruder, leaps with great celerity to the 

 top of the pines, whose size and dense 

 foliage screen and protect it." It is a 

 hardy and muscular animal. When cor- 

 nered, or if wounded, it shows great de- 

 termination, fighting valiantly and bit- 

 ing viciously. Even when "mortally 

 wounded, it clings with surprising per- 

 tinacity, and for a long time, to its 

 perch." 



Dr. C. Hart Merriam has well de- 

 scribed the habits of Abert's Squirrel in 

 the following words : "It builds large 

 covered nests of green pine branches, 

 lined with soft grass, among the limbs 

 of the trees, but also avails itself of holes 

 in the trunks when suitable openings 

 can be found. As a rule it is unwary 

 and may be easily approached within 

 short gunshot range ; but when really 

 frightened it runs swiftly over the lava 

 rocks for a long distance before taking 

 to a tree, often passing over the roots 

 of many large pines in its flight. On 

 reaching the tree of its choice, it climbs 

 to the very top, and then, unlike any oth- 

 er squirrel with which I am familiar, 

 crawls out to the small end of a branch, 

 about which it curls and remains mo- 

 tionless. When in this position it is ex- 

 ceedingly difficult to see, though consid- 

 erably larger than our eastern gray 

 squirrel; and even the conspicuous white 

 under side of the bushy tail is so coiled 

 about the body as to aid in deceiving the 

 observer." 



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