Douglas Squirrel

Description:

Spotted this Douglas Squirrel while hiking in the Mammoth Lakes, CA area.

Habitat:

Mammoth Lakes, CA

Notes:

Tree squirrels, such as the Douglas squirrel (also known as the chickaree), lack internal cheek pouches and do not hibernate like ground squirrels. The Douglas squirrel has a dark olive brown to brown-gray back with a buff, yellow, or rusty belly. A black line runs along each side between the back and belly, and a white ring encircles the eye. They range in size from six to seven inches long, with a tail up to six inches long. These squirrels are commonly heard scolding and chattering from the safety of the trees. The Douglas squirrel is active all winter, feeding on stores of food. Their diet consists mainly of conifer seeds, flowers, fruits, fungi, insects, and occasionally bird nestlings. They often cut fir cones from trees and store them under soil and forest litter for later retrieval. Mammoth Cares