Source: Wikimedia Commons
American Red Squirrel
AdvancedTamiasciurus hudsonicus
A small tree squirrel of North American conifer forest, with a reddish back, white belly and white eye ring, plus ear tufts in winter. It is strongly territorial and hoards conifer seeds.
Difficulty
Advanced
Temperature
18〜26℃
Lifespan
About 5 years on average wild (max 10); captive record 9 years
Size
27–38.5cm long; 197–282g
Humidity
40〜60%
Diet
Mainly seed-eating omnivore: conifer seeds, fungi, buds and fruit
About
The American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is a tree squirrel widespread in the boreal conifer forests of northern North America, favouring forests rich in conifer seeds and fungi with interlocking canopies. The back is reddish to olive-grey and the belly white or cream, separated in summer by a clear dark line. A white eye ring is present all year, and ear tufts grow in winter. The tail is smaller and flatter than in other tree squirrels. It is told from the Douglas squirrel by its pale belly (rusty in the Douglas squirrel) and the colour of its tail-hair tips. It is mainly diurnal and becomes active all day in autumn to prepare for winter shortages. It is strongly territorial and eats mainly conifer seeds, plus fungi, buds, flowers, fruit, sap, insects and birds' eggs. Wild animals average 5 years and reach 10; the captive record is 9. It belongs to a different genus from Japan's regulated invasive Pallas's and Eurasian red squirrels. In Japan, European captive-bred animals and others appear only occasionally at specialists.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Lifespan of the American Red Squirrel
The American Red Squirrel lives About 5 years on average wild (max 10); captive record 9 years.
Size of the American Red Squirrel
The American Red Squirrel grows to 27–38.5cm long; 197–282g.
It is 27–38.5cm long and weighs 197–282g, less than 30% the size of an eastern grey squirrel.
Basic Info
Origin
Boreal conifer forest of northern North America (Alaska and Canada to mountain ranges of the northern United States)
Lifespan
References & Sources
Edited & verified by: BreederDirect editorial team
The taxonomic, regulatory, and husbandry data on this page are compiled and verified against the authoritative primary sources below.
Taxonomy & Authority
Accepted name: Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Erxleben, 1777)
Authority databases: GBIF · GBIF: Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Nomenclature follows global taxonomic authority databases.
Regulations & Conservation Status
Not CITES-listedIUCN LC · Least Concern
Not covered by CITES or the specified-animal rules. As a member of the squirrel family, it needs a species-name certificate under the Invasive Alien Species Act when imported (it is not itself a designated or uncategorized invasive species). Tamiasciurus is a separate genus from Callosciurus and Sciurus, which contain designated and uncategorized invasive species. Imports fall under Japan's animal import notification system (Infectious Diseases Control Law, MHLW): a health certificate from the exporting country's government must be filed with the quarantine station, and rodents must come from a holding facility designated by that government. Animals bred in Japan can be sold and kept without notification. Never release captive animals into the wild.
Sources: Ministry of the Environment: Invasive Alien Species list, incl. species requiring a species-name certificate (JA) / MHLW: Animal import notification system (JA) / Species+ CITES query (not listed)
Regulations may change. Always verify the latest information with the relevant authorities.
American Red Squirrel Listings
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