Yucatán Squirrel
Sciurus yucatanensis
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderRodentia (Rodents)
- FamilySciuridae (Squirrels)
- GenusSciurus (Tree Squirrels)
- SpeciesSciurus yucatanensis (Yucatán Squirrel)
About the Yucatán Squirrel
The Yucatan squirrel (Sciurus yucatanensis), 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.
The Yucatan squirrel lives in dry deciduous and evergreen forests, semiarid pine-oak woodlands, and secondary forest growing in formerly logged areas. They are found in lowlands below an altitude of 750 metres (2,460 ft). They are active during the day and rest during the night, spending most of their time in trees. They are most active in the early morning, but may be seen sunning on a branch later in the day.
Their dreys (or nests), to be found in branches high up in the trees, are built from leaves and twigs. Their food consists of soft fruit, nuts and seeds, whilst Reid in 2009 concluded that their main diet consists of flowers, buds, and shoots. Females generally give birth to two or three young during the April to August dry season.
They are predated by birds of prey, wild cats and dogs, procyonids, primates, and snakes. The Yucatan squirrel... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tikal National Park | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 2 | Biotopo Cerro Cahuí | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 3 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 4 | Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Yucatán Squirrel in Tikal National Park?
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Yucatán Squirrel sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Yucatán Squirrel in Tikal National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Yucatán Squirrel in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.