Pine squirrels are

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

s of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

''Tamiasciurus'', in the Sciurini

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...

, of the large

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Sciuridae.

Species

This genus includes three species: *''Tamiasciurus hudsonicus'' —

American red squirrel The American red squirrel (''Tamiasciurus hudsonicus'') is one of three species of tree squirrels currently classified in the genus ''Tamiasciurus'', known as the pine squirrels (the others are the Douglas squirrel, ''T. douglasii'', and the sou ...

*''Tamiasciurus douglasii'' — Douglas squirrel **''T. d. mearnsi'' —

Mearns's squirrel Mearns's squirrel (''Tamiasciurus douglasii mearnsi'') is a subspecies of the Douglas squirrel Endemism, endemic to Mexico. It is endangered species, endangered and occurs in low densities, and is threatened by habitat loss.Koprowski, Ramos, Pasc ...

*''Tamiasciurus fremonti'' —

southwestern red squirrel The southwestern red squirrel or Fremont's squirrel (''Tamiasciurus fremonti'') is a species of tree squirrel endemic to high-altitude regions of the southwestern United States. Taxonomy It was formerly considered conspecific with the Americ ...

**''T. f. grahamensis'' —

Mount Graham red squirrel The Mount Graham red squirrel (''Tamiasciurus fremonti grahamensis'') is an endangered subspecies of the southwestern red squirrel (''Tamiasciurus fremonti'') native to the Pinaleño Mountains of Arizona. It is smaller than most other subspecies ...

All three species are native to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. Pine squirrels can be found in the northern and western

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, most of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

, and northwestern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Description

Pine squirrels, ''Tamiasciurus'' species, are small

tree squirrel Tree squirrels are the members of the squirrel Family (biology), family (Sciuridae) commonly just referred to as "squirrels." They include more than 100 arboreal species native to all continents except Antarctica and Oceania. They do not form a ...

s with bushy tails. Along with members of the genus ''

Sciurus The genus ''Sciurus'' contains most of the common, bushy-tailed squirrels in North America, Europe, temperate Asia, Central America and South America. Species The number of species in the genus is subject to change. In 2005, Thorington & Hoffma ...

'', they are members of the Sciurini tribe. The name ''Tamiasciurus'' comes from the Greek "Ταμίας" "Σκίουρος" for "hoarder squirrel". The American red squirrel should not be confused with the Eurasian

red squirrel The red squirrel (''Sciurus vulgaris'') is a species of tree squirrel in the genus ''Sciurus'' common throughout Europe and Asia. The red squirrel is an arboreal, primarily herbivorous rodent. In Great Britain, Ireland, and in Italy numbers ...

(''Sciurus vulgaris'') — both are usually just referred to as the "red squirrel" in their home continents. Pine squirrels rely on a variety of food sources including fungi, plants, arthropods and tree seed.

References

External links

* * Tamiasciurus Mammals of Canada Mammals of the United States {{Squirrel-stub