Douglas' Squirrel

About the Douglas' Squirrel

The Douglas squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii) is a pine squirrel found in western North America, from the Pacific Northwest (including the northwestern coastal states of the United States as well as the southwestern coast of British Columbia in Canada) to central California, with an isolated subspecies in northern Baja California, Mexico. It is sometimes known as the chickaree or pine squirrel, although these names are also used for the American red squirrel. Variant spellings of the common name are Douglas' squirrel and Douglas's squirrel. The Native Americans of Kings River called it the "Pillillooeet", in imitation of its characteristic alarm call.

John Muir described the Douglas squirrel as "by far the most interesting and influential of the California Sciuridæ". At full maturity, it is about 33 cm (13 in) in length (including its tail, which is about 13 cm (5 in) long), and weighs between 150 and 300 g (5.3 and 10.6 oz). Its appearance varies according to the season. In the summer, it is greyish or almost greenish-brown on its back, and pale orange on the chest and belly, while legs and feet appear brown. In the winter, the coat is browner and the underside... Wikipedia →