A medium chipmunk-like squirrel of Pacific Northwest forests.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
The Douglas squirrel is a pine squirrel found in western North America, from the Pacific Northwest to central California, with an isolated subspecies in northern Baja California, Mexico. It is sometimes known as the chickaree or pine squirrel, although these names are also used for the American red squirrel. Variant spellings of the common name are Douglas' squirrel and Douglas's squirrel. The Native Americans of Kings River called it the "Pillillooeet", in imitation of its characteristic alarm call.
Source: Wikipedia — Douglas squirrel Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Small rusty-brown squirrel with white belly; orange flanks; pale eye ring.
Similar species. American Red Squirrel (similar; different range edge). Other tree squirrels.
Voice. Chattering territorial calls.
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Conifer seeds (especially Douglas-fir), fungi, occasional insects and bird eggs.
Behavior. Most distinctive western tree squirrel. Caches large amounts of conifer cones each fall in "middens."
§ Range
Pacific Northwest
§ Habitat
Coniferous mountain forests
§ Threats
Forest loss.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the douglas squirrel is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Support Pacific Northwest forest conservation.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Douglas squirrel
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Tamiasciurus douglasii
- IUCN Red List · taxon 42586
- iNaturalist · taxon 46017
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Tamiasciurus douglasii
§ Sources cited
- American Society of Mammalogists
- National Park Service
- IUCN Red List 2016
