American Red Squirrel

Here's an American Red Squirrel I met last fall. Though smaller and less common than our Eastern Gray Squirrels, the ARS is considered a feisty competitor for the EGS. And while we think of squirrels being all about the nuts, the ARS is more omnivorous than you'd probably expect, and will raid bird nests if given the opportunity.

Despite similar-looking fur, the American Red Squirrel isn't especially closely related to Eurasia's Red Squirrel. The Eurasian Red Squirrel is actually under threat from an invasive species, our Eastern Gray Squirrel, which is taking over the ERS's territory. This is one example of one of our native species that becomes a dangerous invasive animal elsewhere.

I suspect that if I paid more attention to squirrels in general, I'd probably see more of our ARSs. But since most of the squirrels I do see are the extremely common EGSs, I do fall into the habit of ignoring them unless they're doing something special.

November 27, 2021 at Duke Farms
Photo 170814423, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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