Kaibab squirrel

Kaibabhörnchen (Sciurus aberti kaibabensis )

The Kaibabhörnchen (Sciurus aberti kaibabensis ) is a squirrel that is native to the Kaibab Plateau on the northern edge of the Grand Canyon. It was formerly classified as a separate species (Sciurus kaibabensis ), today it is regarded as a subspecies of the Abert squirrel (Sciurus aberti ).

Description

It has a 35 cm long dark gray to black body and a 25 cm long white bushy tail. Are located at the ear tufts, which can in older animals reach a length of 25 to 50 millimeters. They stand upright in the winter and can hardly be seen in the summer.

Dissemination and lifestyle

The main population lives in a 800 square kilometer area, the so-called Kaibab Plateau on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in the southwestern United States in Arizona. To prevent epidemics and other disasters, it has been naturalized in other regions of Arizona. The population of squirrels is dependent on the amount of yellow pine cones, which form their main food. It also feeds on acorns, fruit, fungi, and of seeds and bark. The nests are built in the branches of trees and the nests of twigs and pine needles. The young are born from April to August.

Isolation and vulnerability

1965 the Kaibab National Forest was placed on the plateau under protection. Nevertheless, there have always been victims by feral dogs and cats. Also, it makes its strong dependence on the yellow pine stands very vulnerable. The Kaibabhörnchen evolved millions of years ago from the Abert squirrel, which is located on the southern edge of the Grand Canyon. When the Grand Canyon was formed by erosion, the pine forests were separated and the northern edge of the canyon is an independent subspecies developed.