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Sciurus nayaritensis

J.A. Allen, 1890

Mexican Fox Squirrel

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100238
Element CodeAMAFB07050
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassMammalia
OrderRodentia
FamilySciuridae
GenusSciurus
Other Common Names
Una Ardilla (ES)
Concept Reference
Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Third edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Two volumes. 2,142 pp. [As modified by ASM the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) at https://www.mammaldiversity.org/index.html]
Taxonomic Comments
Under a proposed taxonomic arrangement for Sciurini (de Abreu-Jr et al. 2020a, de Abreu-Jr et al. 2020b), S. nayaritensis (along with S. niger, S. arizonensis, S. alleni, and S. oculatus) would be moved to the genus Parasciurus; pending further investigation, this arrangement is tentatively not accepted following the American Society of Mammalogists (2024).

Sciurus arizonensis may be conspecific with S. nayaritensis (Hoffmeister 1986). Scirurus nayaritensis and S. arizonensis may be subspecies of S. niger (see Best and Riedel 1995). Thorington and Hoffman (in Wilson and Reeder 2005) recognized arizonensis, nayaritensis, and niger as distinct species and recognized three subspecies of S. nayaritensis (nayaritensis, apache, and chiricahuae).
Conservation Status
Review Date1996-11-06
Change Date1996-11-06
Range Extent Comments
Chiricahua Mountains (usually 1650-1950 m) in extreme southeastern Arizona south through the Sierra Madre Occidental to Jalisco in central Mexico (Hoffmeister 1986, Best 1995).
Ecology & Habitat

Description

See Best (1995).

Diagnostic Characteristics

See Best (1995).

Habitat

Apache pine-oak forest that is partially open. When inactive, occupies leaf nest on tree branch or in hollow or hole in tree trunk (Hoffmeister 1986).

Reproduction

Probably similar to S. NIGER which produces 1 litter of 3-5 young after a gestation period of 45 days. Two pregnant APACHE females were collected on July 19 (Leopold 1959).
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest - MixedWoodland - Mixed
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN1
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS2Yes
Roadless Areas (1)
Arizona (1)
AreaForestAcres
ChiricahuaCoronado National Forest76,876
References (20)
  1. American Society of Mammalogists (ASM). 2024. The Mammal Diversity Database (MDD). Online. Available: www.mammaldiversity.org
  2. Banfield, A. W. F. 1974. The mammals of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada. 438 pp.
  3. Best, T. L. 1995. <i>Sciurus nayaritensis</i>. Mammalian Species (492):1-5.
  4. de Abreu-Jr, E. F., S. E. Pavan, M. T. Tsuchiya, D. E. Wilson, A. R. Percequillo, and J. E. Maldonado. 2020a. Museomics of tree squirrels: A dense taxon sampling of mitogenomes reveals hidden diversity, phenotypic convergence, and the need of a taxonomic overhaul. BMC Evolutionary Biology 20:1-77.
  5. de Abreu-Jr, E. F., S. E. Pavan, M. T. Tsuchiya, D. E. Wilson, A. R. Percequillo, J. E. Maldonado. 2020b. Spatiotemporal diversification of tree squirrels: is the South American invasion and speciation really that recent and fast?. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 8:230.
  6. Doebel, J., and B. McGinnes. 1974. Home range and activity of a gray squirrel population. Journal of Wildlife Management 38:860-67.
  7. Farentinos, R. C. 1972. Observations on the ecology of the tassel-eared squirrel. Journal of Wildlife Management 36:1234-39.
  8. Flyger, V., and J. E. Gates. 1982. Fox and gray squirrels. Pages 209-229 in J. A. Chapman and G. A. Feldhamer, editors. Wild mammals of North America: biology, management, and economics. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore.
  9. Gurnell, J. 1987. The natural history of squirrels. Facts on File Publications, New York. 201 pp.
  10. Hafner, M. S., L. J. Barkley, and J. M. Chupasko. 1994. Evolutionary genetics of New World tree squirrels (tribe Sciurini). J. Mamm. 75:102-109.
  11. Hall, E. R. 1981a. The Mammals of North America, second edition. Vols. I &amp; II. John Wiley &amp; Sons, New York, New York. 1181 pp.
  12. Hoffmeister, D. F. 1986. Mammals of Arizona. University of Arizona Press and Arizona Game and Fish Department. 602 pp.
  13. Ingles, L. G. 1947. Ecology and life history of the California gray squirrel. California Fish and Game 33:138-158.
  14. Jackson, H. H. 1961. Mammals of Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison. 504 pp.
  15. Leopold, A. S. 1959. Wildlife of Mexico. University of California Press, Berkeley.
  16. Mammalian Species, nos. 1-604. Published by the American Society of Mammalogists.
  17. Rusch, D. A., and W. G. Reeder. 1978. Population ecology of Alberta red squirrels. Ecology 59:400-420.
  18. Smith, C. C. 1968. The adaptive nature of social organization in the genus of tree squirrels, <i>Tamiasciurus</i>. Ecological Monographs 38:31-63.
  19. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 1993. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. xviii + 1206 pp. Available online at: http://www.nmnh.si.edu/msw/.
  20. Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder (editors). 2005. Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference. Third edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. Two volumes. 2,142 pp. [As modified by ASM the Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) at https://www.mammaldiversity.org/index.html]