THE 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, 
western Iowa, 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 7| 
+ 5^ inches, weight 1\ 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 hud-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 8,000 feet. 
The largest squirrel in the world is the great 
Malabar Squirrel 3 of southwestern India, 
which is yellowish brown above, reddish brown or 
black below, and measures, head and body, 17 
2 Sci-u'rus doug'las-i. 3 S. fre-mont'i. 
1 S. ery-thro-gas'ter. 5 Sci-u'rus nial-a-bar' i-cus . 
