T1IE TREE SQUIRRELS 





71 



Variations. — This squirrel is the most 

 variable in color of all our species, and in 

 fifty specimens it may be difficult, or even 

 impossible, to find two exactly alike. 

 Often it has a beautiful gray coat, and 

 looks like a genuine gray squirrel with a 

 brown back and head. Often it is dark 

 gray above, and black on the legs and 

 under surface, — a strange combination of 

 colors, — and occasionally a pure white 

 specimen is found. 



This species inhabits the Mississippi 

 Valley from the Alleghanies to Arkansas, 

 westt n L'owa, and northward to Michigan 

 and New York. In captivity it seems 

 to be more hardy in winter than the 

 gray squirrel. In the New York Zoo- 

 logical Park it blithely runs about in the 

 snow when the latter takes pains to avoid 

 it. Often the Northern Fox Squirrel will 

 be out when none of the other occupants of the 

 Rodents' cages are visible. It seems to me, 

 however, that the Fox Squirrels are not as 

 nimble on foot, or as active and daring in the 

 tree-tops, as the gray squirrels. 



The Red Squirrel, or Chickaree, 1 repre- 

 sents a large group of species containing the 

 smaller of the tree squirrels. Its length is 7f 

 + 5J inches, w r eight 7^ ounces. What it lacks 

 in size it makes up in courage and activity. In 

 New York and New England, it often drives all the 

 gray squirrels out of any grove which they have 

 undertaken to inhabit as tenants in common. 

 Many observers believe the habits of the Red 

 Squirrel to be so bad that the species deserves 

 to be exterminated; but to this we are not pre- 

 pared to agree. The complete destruction of 

 any species of mammal or bird is a doubtful 

 experiment, and never should be entered upon 

 without most careful investigation. 



In its normal colors, this little animal is readily 

 recognized by its brown upper surface and outer 

 surface of its legs, and its white under parts. It 

 must be remembered, however, that it undergoes 

 important seasonal changes in pelage, — from 

 winter coat to summer coat, and the reverse, — 

 and sometimes its standard colors are greatly 

 changed. 



Its legs are long and thin in proportion to the 

 size of its body, and its form is not as graceful 

 1 Sci-u'rus Inid-son'i-cus, 



EASTERN RED SQUIRREL. 



as that of the gray or fox squirrels. It is readily 

 recognized by its markings, and the fact that it 

 is the smallest of our northern tree squirrels. 



Three species and fifteen subspecies of Red 

 Squirrels are recognized, and their combined 

 ranges cover about two-thirds of North America, 

 from Alaska and Labrador to North Carolina 

 and southern Arizona. 



In California and Oregon this group is repre- 

 sented by the sprightly and interesting Douglas 

 Squirrel, 2 showing a mixture of colors, — dark 

 gray, yellowish, and black. This is the most 

 familiar squirrel of the great coast forests, in 

 which it uses the sides of the giant spruces and 

 redwoods as play-grounds. In Colorado and 

 Utah occurs the third full species, known as 

 Fremont's Squirrel, 3 which is colored gray, 

 yellowish brown and white, much mixed. 



Of the forty-three species and races of squir- 

 rels inhabiting Mexico and Central America, the 

 most conspicuous is the Red-Bellied Squirrel. 4 

 Its upper surface is pale grizzled gray, and its 

 under parts bright rusty red. It inhabits the 

 forests of eastern Mexico, ascending the high 

 mountains to an elevation of S,000 feet. 



The largest squirrel in the world is the great 

 Malabar Squirrel 5 of southwestern India, 

 which is yellowish brown above, reddish brown or 

 black below, and measures, head and body, 17 



2 Sci-u'rus dovg'las-i. " S. fre-mont'i. 



4 S. ery-thro-gas'ter. '" Sci-u'rus mal-a-bar' i-eus . 



