Sciurus granatensis, along with many other species of Sciurus swim by dog paddling.
Normally Sciurus granatensis are quiet and solitary, but they often let out grunts and squeals and chase each other. This may or may not a mating behavior. Like other squirrels, they use body postures and gestures to communicate and have a keen sense of smell used to find food and determine sexual receptivity.
Communication Channels: visual ; acoustic ; chemical
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Red-tailed squirrels have a stable population standing. They are neither endangered nor close to extinction even though they are hunted by humans.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
In areas of human population, red-tailed squirrels feed on crops such as mangos, avocados, maize, coconuts, and bananas, causing crop damage.
Negative Impacts: crop pest
Red-tailed squirrels disperse seeds of the plants they feed on. Sciurus granatensis are hunted for food by humans.
Positive Impacts: food
Red-tailed squirrels disperse the seeds of the fruits that they feed on and serve as prey for predators. They may contribute to the dispersal of fungal spores as well.
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds
Approximately 65% of the diet of red-tailed squirrels is made up of fruits, nuts, and seeds with the majority of their diet coming from Scheelea zonensis, Dipteryx panamensis, Maripa panamensis, and Gustavia superba. Although they feed mainly on large fruits and seeds, their diet may include leaves, bark, mushrooms, and flowers. A study done on Barro Colorado Island found that 73% of total feeding observations were on four species of fruit; Dipteryx panamensis, Astrocaryum standleyum, Scheelea zonensis, and Gustavia superba. When available, acorns and hickory nuts are greatly preferred. Red-tailed squirrels have been documented feeding on small insects. In areas where humans reside, red-tailed squirrels feed on cultivars, mangos, avocados, maize, coconuts, and bananas causing damage to these crops. In central Panama, red-tailed squirrels prefer feeding on hard-shelled nuts over softer-shelled nuts. Red-tailed squirrels mainly search for food on the ground, but will usually climb up into the trees before eating food they have found. They also look for food in the crowns of trees over 30 m above the ground.
Animal Foods: insects
Plant Foods: leaves; wood, bark, or stems; seeds, grains, and nuts; fruit; flowers
Other Foods: fungus
Primary Diet: herbivore (Frugivore , Granivore )
Red-tailed squirrels are found in Central and South America. Their range includes northern Costa Rica, southern Venezuela, Columbia, Panama, and Ecuador. Sciurus granatensis are also found on the islands of Margarita, Tobago, Trinidad, and Barro Colorado Island. Red-tailed squirrels are found from sea level to 3,000 meters, although in Venezuela 93% of red-tailed squirrels are found below 1,500 m.
Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )
Red-tailed squirrels are found in a variety of habitats. They are found in both tropical and seasonal forests, in close proximity to water, and in croplands close to human populations. They are primarily found in seasonal rainforests inhabiting lower forest layers.
Range elevation: 0 to 3,000 m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest
Not much is known about the lifespan of red-tailed squirrels in the wild, but it is estimated that maximum lifespan is between 6 and 7 years. During a study on Barro Colorado Island, an individual that was approximately 1 year old, was captured and marked and re-captured multiple times for 6 years. The maximum lifespan in captivity is approximately 11.5 years.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 7 years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 11.5 years.
Red-tailed squirrels are medium-sized squirrels. Their color varies greatly across the range of the species, especially in different habitats. Their dorsal surface is often dark orange, but can range from dull yellow sprinkled with black to all black. Some varieties of red-tailed squirrels have a median, dorsal stripe. Their ventral color ranges from completely white to bright orange-rust. The well-furred tail is dull yellowish brown and may or may not include a black tip. The ventral tail varies from dark yellowish brown to black with a dark yellow edge. The chin and sides of the throat are dark colored with dark yellow highlights with a yellowish-brown ring surrounding the eyes. The winter coat color may vary slightly from the summer coat. Red-tailed squirrels vary in size throughout their geographic range. Males and females tend to be around the same size, although females tend to be slightly larger on Barro Colorado Island in Panama. Body masses range from 228 to 520 g with body length ranging from 330 to 520 mm. Tail length is 140 to 280 mm. The length of the hind feet is 40 to 65 mm, the length of each ear is 16 to 36 mm, the length of the skull is 42.5 to 68.3 mm, and the width of the cranium is 20.0 to 25.6 mm. Sciurus granatensis has a broad skull that is deep in the orbital region. The cranium is arched, the snout is long, and the bullae are small.
Range mass: 228 to 520 g.
Range length: 330 to 520 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike; female larger
Humans occasionally prey on red-tailed squirrels, both for food and to reduce their impact on crops, such as mangos, avocados, corn, coconuts, and bananas. Natural predators include capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus) and boa constrictors (Boa constrictor). They may also be preyed on by raptors, felids, and arboreal snakes.
Known Predators:
Red-tailed squirrels generally breed from late December or early January through October. Some red-tailed squirrels may grunt, squeal, and chase each other, but it is not known if that is a mating behavior. During mating season, males begin to search for and follow females three or more days before they come into heat. The day the female comes into heat, many males begin to enter her home range and chase her until mating occurs. The male loses interest within 15 to 30 minutes following mating.
Mating System: polyandrous
The gestation period of red-tailed squirrels is less than two months. Young are born hairless and with closed eyes weighing approximately 9 to 10 g at birth. The litter size is usually 1 or 2 squirrels, although in rare cases litter size may be up to 3. Red-tailed squirrels can have 2 to 3 litters per year. Fur begins to grow on the young approximately 14 days after birth and their eyes open approximately 30 to 32 days after birth.
Breeding interval: Red-tailed squirrels have 2 to 3 litters per year.
Breeding season: Red-tailed squirrels breed from late December to late October.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 3.
Average number of offspring: 1.93.
Range gestation period: 2 (high) months.
Average weaning age: 61 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 1 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 1 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
Young stay in the nest approximately six weeks after birth. When the mother leaves the nest, she covers her young with nest material. After the period of lactation, which is approximately 61 days, the mother leaves her young. Males have no parental involvement in their young.
Parental Investment: altricial ; female parental care ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)
The red-tailed squirrel (Sciurus granatensis) is a species of tree squirrel distributed from southern Central America to northern South America.
It is found in Central and South America (Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela) and the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago and Margarita.[2][3] According to the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species it has also been introduced and is invasive in Cuba,[3] however this refers to a small population found around some parts of the margin of Rio Almendares in Havana that escaped from the Havana Zoo.[4]
Ranges from 0 to 3,000 m (0 to 9,843 ft) in elevation. It inhabits many types of forests, and can be found in picnic grounds.[1]
It was recently reclassified as Notosciurus granatensis in 2015, Notosciurus being a genus created in 1914 by Joel Asaph Allen for a juvenile of this species.[5] however, the IUCN still puts it as a member of the genus Sciurus.
This is an extremely variable species in terms of coat colours. As such numerous former species and subspecies have been named from within its range, often from the same locality. Over the years many species were moved into subspecies of this taxon. In 1961 Cabrera recognised 28 subspecies. Other subspecies were subsequently added, such as Sciurus llanensis which was named from southern Venezuela in 1984 and later sank into Sciurus granatensis as a subspecies, so that by the early 2000s 32 subspecies were recognised.[2][5] In 2015 these were reduced to 6 geographical subspecies.[5] Koprowski, Mercer and Roth writing for the IUCN in 2008, however, claimed the species should perhaps be split into a number of species based on never published morphological and genetic research.[1]
It is most closely related to Sciurus pucheranii in South America. It is somewhat larger than this species, although the sizes overlap, except where the two species occur sympatrically in the eastern Andes of Colombia where S. granatensis is always noticeably larger. These two species are the only two squirrels of South America which possess 3 pairs of teats and a patch of lighter coloured (generally orange) fur on the head behind the ears (except the subspecies morulus and chapmani).[5] It is also closely related to Sciurus richmondi of Nicaragua, which replaces S. granatensis ssp. hoffmanni to the north of Costa Rica. This species is a bit smaller, similar in colouration to S. granatensis ssp. hoffmanni but a bit duller, with the orange streaks on the tail coloured more pale.[6] S. richmondi is likely conspecific with Sciurus granatensis.[6][7]
This is a common squirrel with a stable population and a vast range consisting of different habitats, including human influenced environments, thus it is not thought to be at threat.[1] In 2008, the IUCN hinted at that should the species be split into different species; some of these could be deemed threatened.[7]
It has been introduced to a small area near Havana on Cuba, where it is not native.[3][4] No damage to the native fauna has been reported.[4]
The red-tailed squirrel (Sciurus granatensis) is a species of tree squirrel distributed from southern Central America to northern South America.
