Those who hike in the ponderosa parklands of our western foothills and mesas have a chance to see Abert's squirrels, one of North America's more unique and interesting mammals. Closely associated with ponderosa pine forests, which are best developed between six and nine thousand feet, these "tassel-eared squirrels" are found in the Rocky Mountain chain, from southern Wyoming to northern Mexico, and across the Colorado Plateau.
Best identified by their prominent ear tufts, Abert's squirrels are primarily arboreal, feeding on the seeds, cones, buds and inner bark of ponderosa pines; they also consume a variety of berries, fungi and carrion. Their nests are constructed with pine needles and twigs and are placed high in mature trees, usually at the junction of a large branch and the central trunk. Mating, which follows a day-long chase by several suitors, occurs in late winter or early spring; 2-4 young are generally born in May or June.
The color of Abert's squirrels varies with the geographic area, ranging from gray to dark brown to black, with white underparts. However, on the Kaibab Plateau, north of the Grand Canyon, a subspecies (known as the Kaibab squirrel) has a black abdomen and a totally white tail; long isolated from populations east of the Colorado River, these Arizona squirrels were once considered to be a separate species. Regardless of their location, the population of Abert's squirrels varies with the health and productivity of the ponderosa pine forest, an ecosystem under continuous assault by the invasion of human communities.
