Kaibab squirrel

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Kaibab squirrel
Kaibab Squirrel.jpg
In Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Sciurus
Species:
Subspecies:
S. a. kaibabensis
Trinomial name
Sciurus aberti kaibabensis
Merriam, 1904

The Kaibab squirrel (Sciurus aberti kaibabensis) is a tassel-eared squirrel that lives in the Kaibab Plateau in the Southwest United States, in an area of 20 by 40 miles (32 by 64 km). The squirrel's habitat is confined entirely to the ponderosa pine forests of the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park and the northern section of Kaibab National Forest [1] around the town of Jacob Lake, Arizona.

This squirrel is not found anywhere else in the world. [2] In 1965, 200,000 acres (810 km2) of Kaibab squirrel habitat within Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest were declared the Kaibab Squirrel National Natural Landmark. [3]

Description

Kaibab squirrel at Grand Canyon National Park North Rim Grand Canyon National Park North Rim - Kaibab Squirrel 0188.jpg
Kaibab squirrel at Grand Canyon National Park North Rim

Kaibab squirrels usually have a black belly (which is sometimes gray), white tail, tufted ears and chestnut brown back. [3] The tufts on the ears grow longer with age and may extend 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) above the ears in the winter, and may not be visible in the summer.

Ecology

A Kaibab squirrel. Kaibab-squirrel.jpg
A Kaibab squirrel.

The Kaibab squirrel lives in ponderosa pine forests, [4] where it builds its nest out of twigs and pine needles. Kaibab squirrels, ponderosa pines, and the fungi which grow in the vicinity of the ponderosas exist in a symbiotic relationship. The squirrel eats acorns, fruit, and fungi (especially an underground truffle), [2] as well as the seeds, bark, and twigs of the trees where it makes its home. The Kaibab squirrel's most significant source of food is the seeds found within ponderosa pine cones. [5] Young squirrels are born between April and August.

In the past the Kaibab squirrel was given species status (Sciurus kaibabensis), but it is now considered a subspecies of the Abert's squirrel (Sciurus aberti). [6]

The Kaibab squirrel is an example of evolution occurring through geographic isolation, but not because of the canyon. [2] Compared to the Kaibab squirrel, the Abert's squirrel, with its several subspecies, has a much broader distribution and is found on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The difference between North Rim and South Rim Abert's squirrels has given rise to the commonly held but incorrect assumption that the canyon itself acted as a barrier preventing gene flow between the two populations. However, modern Kaibab squirrels are descended from populations of Abert's squirrels that dispersed into the Grand Canyon area following the last Ice Age. [7]

As the climate warmed, ponderosa pine stands and the Abert's squirrels living there were limited to areas of high elevation like the Kaibab Plateau. These isolated populations eventually became modern Kaibab squirrels and, as the climate cooled again and ponderosa pines once again grew at lower elevations, other Abert's squirrel subspecies returned to the Grand Canyon area, filling in their former niches on the South Rim.

Related Research Articles

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Bryce Canyon National Park is an American national park located in southwestern Utah. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rock. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views for park visitors. Bryce Canyon National Park is much smaller and sits at a much higher elevation than nearby Zion National Park. The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coconino Plateau</span> Geographic feature in Coconino County, Arizona, US

The Coconino Plateau is found south of the Grand Canyon and north-northwest of Flagstaff, in northern Arizona of the Southwestern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kaibab Plateau</span> Landform in Arizona and Utah, United States

The Kaibab Plateau is a plateau almost entirely in Coconino County, Arizona in the Southwestern United States. The high plain is also known as the Buckskin Mountain, Buckskin Plateau, and Kaibab Mountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona State Route 67</span> State highway in Arizona, United States

State Route 67 is a 43.4 mi (69.8 km) long, north–south state highway in northern Arizona. Also called the Kaibab Plateau – North Rim Parkway, SR 67 is the sole road that links U.S. Route 89A at Jacob Lake to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Along the route, the road heads through the national park as well as Kaibab National Forest and traverses extensive coniferous forests. The section inside the national park is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS), whereas the section north of the entrance, completely within Kaibab National Forest, is owned by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). The road was built in the late 1920s and improved through the 1930s. In 1941, the road received its number, and was given its designation as the parkway in the 1980s. The parkway has received designations as a National Forest Scenic Byway as well as a National Scenic Byway.

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References

  1. "Kaibab squirrel". National Park Service . Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 "North Kaibab Plateau, Gateway to the Grand Canyon". Sierra Club. February 16, 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Kaibab Plateau – North Rim National Scenic Byway". Arizona Scenic Roads. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  4. "Famous Kaibab White-Tailed Squirrel". Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  5. Woodhouse, S.W. (1853). "Description of a new species of Sciurus". 6 (110). Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. Kaibab squirrel
  7. "Macroevolution: Species Formation" . Retrieved October 26, 2013.