Abert's squirrel

Scientific name: Sciurus aberti

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Abert's squirrels are large tree squirrels with dark gray to black upper parts, white underparts, and a distinctive long, bushy tail. Both sexes are characterized by prominent ear tufts (especially prominent in winter) and a white eye-ring; males are slightly larger than females.

Size and weight

Males: 540–740 g, body length 45–58 cm; females: 480–680 g, body length 43–53 cm. Tail length adds 19–24 cm.

Habitat

Abert's squirrels inhabit ponderosa pine forests at elevations between 1,800–2,700 m. They require mature, open pine stands with sparse understory and are rarely found outside this specific forest type.

Distribution

Endemic to the southwestern United States, with range centered in Arizona and New Mexico at higher elevations; populations are fragmented and restricted to ponderosa pine habitat across the Colorado Plateau and Rocky Mountain transition zones.

Diet

Abert's squirrels feed primarily on ponderosa pine seeds and inner bark (cambium); they also consume mushrooms, fungi, and acorns seasonally, with greater reliance on bark in winter when seeds are scarce.

Behaviour

Diurnal and most active in early morning and late afternoon; solitary and territorial year-round. They move actively through the canopy and on the ground, spending considerable time in treetops but regularly descending to forage and travel.

Hunting tips

Look for fresh bark-stripping damage on ponderosa pines, scattered cone scales and seed debris on the ground, and dark droppings near feeding sites. Approach quietly through dense pine stands during dawn or late afternoon activity periods; use the vertical terrain and tree cover to close distance before the animal detects movement. Scan treetops systematically and listen for jumping sounds and falling debris as indicators of active squirrels.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.

United States

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.