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Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Erxleben, 1777)
Red Squirrel
Federal Protection: No US federal protection
State Protection: No Georgia state protection
Global Rank: G5
State Rank: S3
Element Locations Tracked in Biotics: Yes
SWAP 2015 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): Yes
2025 SGCN Priority Tier: Moderate Conservation Concern
Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 20
Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: High-elevation pine or mixed hardwood forests
The red squirrel is North America’s smallest tree squirrel, with a total length of 300-350 mm (11.8–13.8 in), a tail length of 95-140 mm (3.7-5.5 in), hind foot of 42-55 mm (1.6-2.1 in), ear length of 20-25 mm (0.7-1 in), and a weight between 145-260 g (5.1-9.1 oz). Dorsal pelage is reddish brown, but it is whitish below. A black lateral stripe separates the dorsal and ventral pelage during the summer. Other characteristic markings include a white eye ring and tufted ears that are present during the winter. juvenile colorations typically resemble one of three color phases gray olivaceous, or reddish, and generally resemble the adult winter pelage in that it is longer and softer. Juveniles tend to have prominent ear tufts, and the bottoms of the feet and digits are thickly furred.
The red squirrel can be distinguished from other tree squirrels, such as the gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) by its distinctive reddish pelage and by its smaller, flatter tail.
Genus Tamiasciurus has a long history of coevolution with conifers, particularly family Pinaceae, giving them the name “pine squirrel”. Despite this association, they are very flexible when it comes to habitat preferences (with regard to both nesting sites and cover preferences) and can thrive in a wide variety of forest types. Habitat types they frequently inhabit include beech, black walnut, oaks, Virginia pine, maple, hemlock forests, mixed hardwood-conifer forests, coniferous plantations, old orchards, hedgerows, park-like areas, and even urban forests. Hedgerows, which may support resident populations, are particularly useful as travel corridors. Red squirrels, along with all other squirrel species, have been known to occupy areas adjacent to cornfields during winter. This serves as a seasonal habitat if there are no other food sources in the area. Areas such as this may be abundant in squirrels during the winter and totally devoid of them during the summer. In Georgia, red squirrels are typically observed along streams where hemlock is or has been present in the past. Key habitat features are ones that allow the squirrel to move quickly, efficiently, and inconspicuously. These features include logs, open vegetation, low slopes, and high shrub cover per stem (this provides good cover while leaving open space for movement).
Mast (the fruit of trees such as acorns from an oak) is consumed year-round, but is most important in the fall, winter, and early spring. Red squirrels frequently gather winter mast off the forest floor and cache it in the ground. In hardwood systems, mast includes white and red oaks, hickories, and beech. In coniferous habitats, they mainly consume cones, especially of hemlock or spruce. Other frequently consumed mast includes yellow poplar and sycamore. The spring diet is mostly comprised of buds and flowers. Red squirrels have been observed harvesting sap from sugar maples by puncturing the bark with their teeth and returning later after most of the water has evaporated and they are left with concentrated sugar. The red squirrel may occasionally consume other sources of food such as insects and small animals such as young birds.
The breeding season lasts from January to October, with peaks in late winter and summer; indicating two distinct breeding seasons within the larger annual season. Red squirrels may produce 1 or 2 litters per year, with a mean litter size of 4.5 that varies with the season. Spring litters tend average close to 4.0 young, while summer litters average 5.3 young. They prefer to nest in tree cavities but also build their own nests out of leaves or use ground burrows. Young will begin to leave the nest on occasion at 6 or 7 weeks. They are weaned at 7 or 8 weeks but are unlikely to wander far from the nest until they reach about 10 weeks of age. Young generally take nearly a year to reach sexual maturity. Young born in spring will breed the following late winter, while those born in summer are likely to wait until the next summer before breeding.
These mammals produce alarm calls to warn of potential predators, which differ depending on whether the threat is aerial or terrestrial. An alarm made in response to an aerial predator has a lower amplitude and higher frequency making it harder for raptors to detect.
Havahart traps have been useful in live-trapping red squirrels. Individuals that have been caught even several times are unlikely to learn to avoid the trap and may, in fact, return to the same trap intentionally in order to obtain food. For this reason, it is important to move traps frequently to ensure an unbiased collection. Camera traps and auditory point counts can serve as noninvasive methods to sampling. Camera traps in particular allow for less time and manpower needed towards surveying.
Red squirrels are found in boreal forests of Canada and Northern U.S., extending southward in the Rockies and Appalachian Mountains. In Georgia they are restricted to the very northeastern corner of the state
In the early 20th century, habitat destruction impacted red squirrels in the south. They may have also been affected by plant diseases that depleted food sources. A current potential threat is the decline of red-spruce (Picea rubens) and Frasier fir (Abies fraseri) communities in the southern Appalachians. However, since red squirrels can readily utilize mixed and hardwood forests, this may not affect their numbers significantly.
| Threat 1 | Threat 2 | Threat 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Threat | Residential & commercial development | Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Natural system modifications |
| Specific Threat | Housing & urban areas | Diseases of unknown cause | Other ecosystem modifications |
The status of red squirrels in the Southeast is poorly understood due to the fact that most of the data on this species are anecdotal, outdated, or from different regions.
It is important to maintain dense forests of a variety of types. The conservation of red spruce is especially important in the southern Appalachians for maintaining adequate food resources
Bakker, V. J. 2006. Microhabitat features influence the movements of red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) on unfamiliar ground. Journal of Mammalogy 87:124-130.
Georgia Biodiversity Portal. 2018. Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Erxleben, 1777). Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, Social Circle, Georgia.
Greene, E. and T. Meagher. 1998. Red squirrels, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, produce predator-class specific alarm calls. Animal Behaviour 55:511-518.
Gunn, M. R., D. A. Dawson, A. Leviston, K. Hartnup, C. S. Davis, C. Strobeck, J. Slate, and D. W. Coltman. 2005. Isolation of 18 polymorphic microsatellite loci from the North American red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Sciuridae, Rodentia), and their cross-utility in other species. Molecular Ecology Notes 5:650-653.
Hamilton, W. J., Jr. 1939. Observations on the life history of the red squirrel in New York. American Midland Naturalist 22:732–745.
Laerm, J. and W. D. Webster. 2007. Red squirrel. The land manager’s guide to mammals of the south. Pp. 422-425.
Lair, H. 1985. Length of gestation in the red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus. Journal of Mammalogy 66:809–810.
Layne, J. N. 1954. The biology of the red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus loquax (Bangs), in central New York. Ecological Monographs 24:227-268.
Obbard, M. E. 1987. Red squirrel. Wild furbearer management and conservation in North America. Wild furbearer management and conservation in North America. Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario, Canada. Pp. 265-281.
Smith, C. C. 1970. The coevolution of pine squirrels (Tamiasciurus) and conifers. Ecological Monographs 40:349-371.
Villette, P., C. J. Krebs, and T. S. Jung. 2017. Evaluating camera traps as an alternative to live trapping for estimating the density of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) and red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). European Journal of Wildlife Research 63:7.
Wharton, C. H. 1968. Distribution of the red squirrel in Georgia. Journal of Mammalogy 49:153-155.
White, P. S., E. Buckner, J. D. Pattillo, and C. V. Cogbill. 1993. High-elevation forest: Spruce-fir forests, northern hardwood forests, and associated communities. Biodiversity of the southeastern United States: Upland terrestrial communities. John Wiley and Sons, NewYork, NewYork, USA. Pages 305–337.
Ben Williams
B. Williams, Dec. 2018: original account
S. Thrasher, Oct. 2019: Updated information and edited grammar and format
S. Krueger, Feb. 2020: Edited for final review