Pine squirrel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pine squirrelsTamiasciurus Temporal range: Middle Pleistocene - Recent
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) | |
Scientific classification  |
|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Sciuridae |
| Tribe: | Sciurini |
| Genus: | Tamiasciurus Trouessart, 1880 |
| Species | |
Pine squirrels are a group of small, active squirrels. They belong to a special group, or genus, called Tamiasciurus. These squirrels are part of the larger family known as Sciuridae. They are well-known for living in trees and having bushy tails.
Types of Pine Squirrels and Where They Live
There are three main types, or species, of pine squirrels. All of them live in North America.
- Tamiasciurus hudsonicus — This is the American red squirrel.
- Tamiasciurus douglasii — This squirrel is known as the Douglas squirrel.
- Tamiasciurus mearnsi — This one is called the Mearns's squirrel.
You can find pine squirrels in the northern and western United States. They also live across most of Canada, in Alaska, and in northwestern Mexico.
What Pine Squirrels Look Like and What They Eat
Pine squirrels are small tree squirrels. They are easy to spot because of their bushy tails. They are related to other tree squirrels in the Sciurus genus.
The name Tamiasciurus comes from two old Greek words. "Ταμίας" means "hoarder" and "Σκίουρος" means "squirrel." So, their name means "hoarder squirrel," which makes sense because they often store food.
It's important not to confuse the American red squirrel with the Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris). Even though both are often called "red squirrel" in their home areas, they are different species.
Pine squirrels eat many different things. Their diet includes fungi (like mushrooms), various plant parts, small arthropods (like insects), and especially tree seeds.
