Douglas Squirrel

The loud squirrel is an attentive and agile species. They have cute tuft around the ears during the winter.

Scientific Information

Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Order	Rodentia
Family	Sciuridae
Genus	Tamiasciurus
Scientific Name	Tamiasciurus douglasii

Also Known as	Douglas’s squirrel, Douglas’ squirrel, pillillooeet, pine squirrel or chickaree
Description	Size: Around 12 in (33 cm) Color: During the summer, the back is greenish brown while the belly and chest are pale orange. During the winter the coat becomes browner and the chest and belly become grayer Weight: 5.29-10.5 oz (150-300 g)
Distribution	United States and Canada
Habitat	Coniferous of the pacific coast
Subspecies	1. T. d. douglasii 2. T. d. mollipilosus
Sounds and Call	‘Bauf, bauf, bauf’, ‘burr’, and ‘chir’
Lifespan	5-6 years
Diet	Pine seeds, twigs, sap, buds, leaves, mushrooms, acorns, berries, nuts, fungi, bird eggs, arthropods, and nestlings
Adaptation	1. The claws are strong enough to have a good grasp of bark. 2. Their tail helps them balance the body when they climb the trees vertically. It is also used as an umbrella and a warm coat during the winter. 3. Through their whiskers on the nose, chin, and around the eye zone, they sense the surrounding.
Predators	Owls, northern goshawks, bobcats, domestic cats, and American martens
IUCN Conservation Status	Least Concern

Behavior

• Except for babies and their mothers, these squirrels are solitary.
• They prefer abandoned nests of woodpeckers and other birds.
• Douglas squirrels are diurnal.
• In order to protect their territory, the squirrels produce a large alarming call to ward off other animals.

Mating and Reproduction

The mating season starts from February and last till August but most mating occurs between March to June. Female squirrels give birth to litters, each containing 4-6 kittens.

Life Cycle

Young squirrels are born blind and they do not have any fur on them. They weigh 13-18 g (0.4-0.6 oz). They start growing fur when they are around 18 days and start opening their eyes during 26-36 days. The mother starts weaning them when they are 6-9 weeks old and it continues for more 3 months. During 4-6 months of age, they become young but stay with their families. They become adult attaining sexual maturity when they reach 8-9 months.

Interesting Facts

• While communicating with other closely-related species, the squirrels use their tail as a flag.
• They keep on chewing things, especially twigs to sharpen and trim their teeth.

References

1. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tamiasciurus_douglasii/#lifespan_longevity
2. https://animalia.bio/douglas-squirrel
3. http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/douglassquirrel.htm/
4. http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/douglas_squirrel_712.html
5. https://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Rodentia/Sciuridae/Tamiasciurus/Tamiasciurus-douglasii.html