Mexican gray squirrel

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Mexican gray squirrel
Mexican Gray Squirrel - Sciurus Aureogaster.jpg
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [2]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Sciurus
Species:
S. aureogaster
Binomial name
Sciurus aureogaster
F. Cuvier, 1829
Subspecies [3]
  • S. a. aureogaster
  • S. a. nigrescens
Sciurus aureogaster range map.svg
Mexican gray squirrel range

The Mexican gray squirrel (or red-bellied squirrel) (Sciurus aureogaster) is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus native to Guatemala and eastern and southern Mexico. It has been introduced to the Florida Keys. [4] [1]

Contents

The alternate name should not be confused with the Indonesian red-bellied squirrel (Rubrisciurus rubriventer) or the Asian red-bellied tree squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus).

Behaviour

Since the introduction of the species to Florida in the late 1930s, its nesting locations have become more irregular, nesting in varying species of trees and even choosing to nest in hurricane debris. [5] [6]

Ecology

Sciurus aureogaster has had an extremely negative impact on Thrinax radiata populations on Elliot Key. It uses palm fibers as nesting materials and consumes the palm itself, often killing the plant. [7]

Subspecies

The two subspecies each have many synonyms associated with them: [3]

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox squirrel</span> Species of mammal

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abert's squirrel</span> Species of rodent

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolivian squirrel</span> Species of rodent

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bangs's mountain squirrel</span> Species of rodent

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<i>Callosciurus</i> Genus of "beautiful" squirrels from Asia

Callosciurus is a genus of squirrels collectively referred to as the "beautiful squirrels". They are found mainly in Southeast Asia, though a few species also occur in Nepal, northeastern India, Bangladesh and southern China. Several of the species have settled on islands. In total, the genus contains 15 species and numerous varieties and subspecies. The genera Glyphotes, Rubrisciurus, and Tamiops have sometimes been included in Callosciurus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caucasian squirrel</span> Species of rodent

The Caucasian squirrel or Persian squirrel, is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus found in temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in south-western Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona gray squirrel</span> Species of rodent

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deppe's squirrel</span> Species of rodent

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yucatan squirrel</span> Species of rodent

The Yucatan squirrel, originally named the Yucatan gray squirrel, also once named the Campeche squirrel, is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus found in the Yucatán Peninsula and adjacent areas. It is native to northern Belize, northeastern Guatemala, and southeast Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mearns's squirrel</span> Subspecies of rodent

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sherman's fox squirrel</span> Subspecies of rodent

Sherman's fox squirrel is a subspecies of the fox squirrel. It lives in the U.S. states of Florida and Georgia in fire-prone areas of longleaf pine and wiregrass, especially around sandhills. A tree squirrel, Sherman's fox squirrel has lost much of its habitat to farming and development. This type of squirrel nests in oak trees using leaves and Spanish moss.

<i>Thrinax radiata</i> Species of palm

Thrinax radiata, also known as the Florida thatch palm, is a medium to slow growing palm in the family Arecaceae. It is native to many Caribbean islands, Mexico, Central America, and far southern Florida. Its natural habitat is sandy, calcareous soil in coastal areas.

References

  1. 1 2 Koprowski, J.; Roth, L.; Reid, F.; Woodman, N.; Timm, R.; Emmons, L. (2017). "Sciurus aureogaster". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2017: e.T20006A22248035. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T20006A22248035.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. "Sciurus aureogaster". Natureserve Explorer. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
  3. 1 2 Thorington, R.W. Jr.; Hoffmann, R.S. (2005). "Sciurus (Sciurus) aureogaster". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: a taxonomic and geographic reference (3rd ed.). The Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 754–818. ISBN   0-8018-8221-4. OCLC   26158608.
  4. Long, J. L. (2003). Introduced Mammals of the World: Their History, Distribution and Influence. Csiro Publishing, Collingwood, Australia. ISBN   9780643099166
  5. Ramos-Lara, Nicolás; Cervantes, Fernando A (September 2011). "Ecology of the Mexican red-bellied squirrel (Sciurus aureogaster) in Michoacán, Mexico". The Southwestern Naturalist. 56 (3): 400–403. doi:10.1894/N02-RTS-11.1. S2CID   85571853 . Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  6. Palmer, Geoffrey H; Koprowski, John L; Pernas, Anthony J (16 December 2013). "Nest tree and site selection of an introduced population of red-bellied squirrels (Sciurus aureogaster)". Journal of Mammalogy . 94 (6): 1274–1281. doi: 10.1644/12-MAMM-A-308.1 .
  7. Tilmant, James T. (September 1980). Investigations of Rodent Damage to the Thatch Palms Thrinax morrisii and Thrinax radiata on Elliott Key, Biscayne National Park, Florida (PDF). Everglades National Park, South Florida Research Center (Technical report). National Park Service. M-589.