Mammals
American Red Squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus · also called American red squirrels, pine squirrel
Perched atop a stripped conifer branch, an American red squirrel scolds loudly at an intruder venturing too close to its carefully built midden, a small, feisty forager whose entire winter survival depends on the cache it has spent months defending.
Overview
The American red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, is a small, energetic rodent native to coniferous and mixed forest habitat across a broad range of Canada, Alaska, and the northern United States. Its fierce year-round territorial defence, impressive central cone caches, and outsized feisty temperament for its size make it one of the more vocally assertive small mammals found across the northern forest.
Small size, outsized attitude
Considerably smaller than many of its tree squirrel relatives, the American red squirrel more than compensates with sheer persistence, loudly defending a single, carefully stocked territory against intruders many times its own size throughout the entire year.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and abundant across suitable coniferous forest habitat throughout Canada, Alaska, and the northern United States.
American Red Squirrel: common questions
Why is the American red squirrel so vocal and aggressive?
This species maintains and aggressively defends a single territory year-round, using loud, persistent scolding calls to warn off other squirrels and potential threats approaching its cached food supply, a defensive vocal behaviour that reflects how much its survival depends on protecting one reliable, well-stocked territory.
What is a midden, and why does the American red squirrel build one?
A midden is a large central cache of harvested conifer cones that this species builds and maintains within its territory, and because a well-stocked midden can accumulate over many years, it functions as a critical, reliable food reserve that helps the squirrel survive through winters when fresh food is otherwise scarce.
How does the American red squirrel compare in size to other tree squirrels?
This species is considerably smaller than tree squirrels such as the fox squirrel and eastern gray squirrel, though its notably feisty, energetic temperament and loud vocal defence of territory make it seem far more imposing than its actual small size would suggest.
Does the American red squirrel hibernate in winter?
No, this species remains active year-round rather than hibernating, relying on the large cache of conifer cones stored in its midden to sustain it through the winter months when fresh food is otherwise difficult to find.