The natural history of tassel-eared squirrels
By: Sylvester Allred
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Albuquerque
Language: eng
Number of pages: 226
ISBN-13: 9780826346551
Subjects: Abert's squirrel
Description: "I live in the middle of an almost two-million-acre ponderosa pine forest--the largest in the world. In moments I can leave my home and be in the habitat of the tassel-eared squirrel, which I have studied for more than twenty-five years. From my dining table I can watch these tassel-eared rascals climb along a branch of a ponderosa pine, clip terminal pine shoots for inner bark, gather pollen cones for their rich golden pine pollen, and consume the seeds from developing ovulate cones. Any of us in Flagstaff, Arizona, or Boulder, Colorado, or Santa Fe, New Mexico, who live in houses placed in the habitat of these squirrels have the opportunity to see these animals whose relationship with the ponderosa pine forest is so unique, since with rare exception these animals live only in ponderosa habitat. Tassel-eared squirrels can bring both endless entertainment and numerous frustrations to homeowners. Some encourage them by placing foods out for them to eat, and others desperately try to keep these one and one-half-pound acrobats from raiding their bird feeders. --

"I receive phone calls from concerned homeowners because a tassel-eared squirrel has decided to use their ponderosa pine trees for feeding: clipping the upper terminal branches, stripping the needles, and creating piles of cone scales below. I assure these worried folks that the tree will not be killed though it will be pruned to some extent, and I urge them to feel fortunate that their trees were selected by the squirrel, because this activity so perfectly demonstrates the unique relationship between the tassel-eared squirrel and the ponderosa pine. --

"These little tassel-eared creatures are so charismatic that anyone seeing them for the first time must smile with surprise. Photographers and artists wish to capture their essence. Backyard naturalists are able to see a special ecological relationship. Scientists now recognize the tassel-eared squirrels as critical indicators of thehealth of the forest."--Sylvester Allred, Author's Notes --Book Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Machine generated contents note: ch. One Introduction; title: References for Chapter One; title: ch. Two Physical Characteristics of Tassel-Eared Squirrels; title: Tassels; title: Physical Characteristics-Pelage and the Colors; title: Colors of the Type Specimens of S. a. aberti and S. a. kaibabensis inArizona; title: Colors of S. a. ferreus in Colorado; title: Colors of S. a. aberti, S. a. chuscensis, and S. a. kaibabensis from Arizona and New Mexico; title: Colors of Tassel-Eared Squirrels from Mexico; title: Genetics of Pelage Colors; title: Guard Hair; title: Dorsal Patch; title: Lateral Stripe; title: Tail Colors; title: Tail Lengths; title: Faces; title: Molting; title: Physical Characteristics-Body Measurements; title: Size; title: Feet and Claws; title: Teeth; title: Cranium Measurements; title: Determining the Differences between Juveniles and Adults by Physical Characteristics; title: Do Tassel-Eared Squirrels Conform to Allen's and Bergmann's Rules?; title: Temperatures of Tassel-Eared Squirrels; title: Future Research; title: References for Chapter Two; title: ch. Three Habitat, Home Range, and Distribution; title: Introduction; title: Habitat; title: Home Range; title: Geographical Distribution of Tassel-Eared Squirrels; title: Natural Range Expansions of Tassel-Eared Squirrels; title: Transplants of Tassel-Eared Squirrels; title: Summary; title: Future Research; title: References for Chapter Three; title: ch. Four Food and Feeding Activities; title: Introduction; title: Inner Bark of Ponderosa Pine Terminal Shoots; title: Selection of Feeding Trees; title: Is It the Tree Chemistry?; title: Is It a Physical Characteristic?; title: Do Squirrels Rotate the Use of Feed Trees?; title: Do Feed Trees and Non-Feed Trees Have Different Growth Rates?; title: Seeds from Ovulate Ponderosa Pine Cones; title: Mycophagy; title: Other Foods Obtained from Ponderosa Pine Trees; title: Other Foods Used by Tassel-Eared Squirrels; title: Water; title: Food Caching; title: Summary; title: References for Chapter Four; title: ch. Five Nests; title: Introduction; title: Types of Nests; title: Bolus Nests; title: Other Types of Nests; title: Nest Tree Characteristics; title: Summary; title: References for Chapter Five; title: ch. Six Behavior and Social Interactions; title: Introduction; title: Daily Activity; title: Social Interactions; title: Mating; title: Nesting Behavior; title: Movement within the Forest; title: Activities During Storms; title: Other Behaviors Demonstrated by Tassel-Eared Squirrels; title: Summary; title: Future Research; title: References for Chapter Six; title: ch. Seven Reproduction, Embryology, and Development; title: Introduction; title: Estrus; title: Copulation; title: Gestation and Postnatal Development; title: Lactation; title: Female Reproduction; title: Anatomy; title: Oogenesis; title: Male Reproduction; title: Anatomy; title: Spermatogenesis; title: Sperm Morphology; title: Reproductive Anomalies; title: Future Research; title: References for Chapter Seven; title: ch. Eight Mortality and Parasites; title: Introduction; title: Predation; title: Avian Predators; title: Terrestrial Predators; title: Mortality from Habitat Loss; title: Season and Mortality; title: Highway Mortalities; title: Hunting; title: Parasites; title: Other Causes of Mortality; title: Life Span; title: Summary; title: Future Research; title: References for Chapter Eight; title: ch. Nine Genetics; title: Introduction; title: Karyotypes and Chromosomes; title: Serum Proteins; title: Transferrin; title: Albumin; title: T-cell Receptor Genes; title: Major Histocompatibility Complex; title: Genetics and Pelage Color; title: Nucleotide Diversity Using Mitochondrial DNA; title: Cytochrome b Gene; title: Microsatellites; title: Summary; title: Future Research; title: References for Chapter Nine; title: ch. Ten The Kaibab Squirrel; title: Introduction; title: Historical Overview of Kaibab Squirrel Protection; title: The Controversy of the Status; title: Endangered or Threatened?; title: Transplants of Kaibab Squirrels; title: Summary; title: Future Research; title: References for Chapter Ten; title: COLOR PLATES; title: ch. Eleven Ecology; title: Introduction; title: Ecology of Tassel-Eared Squirrels and Ponderosa Pines; title: Tassel-Eared Squirrels and Ponderosa Pine Tree Morbidity and Mortality; title: Alternation of Feed Tree Selection; title: Tassel-Eared Squirrels as Agents of Selection of Ponderosa Pine Trees; title: Nitrogen Cycling; title: Ecology of Tassel-Eared Squirrel Digs; title: Ecology of Tassel-Eared Squirrels and Fungi; title: Tassel-Eared Squirrel Interactions with Other Animals; title: Population Ecology; title: Summary; title: Future Research; title: References for Chapter Eleven; title: ch. Twelve Census and Monitoring Methods and Techniques; title: Introduction; title: Squirrel Census Methods; title: Evidence of Feeding Activities; title: Hunter Success; title: Forest Characteristics; title: Nest Counts; title: Track Pans; title: Tracks in Snow; title: Squirrel Observations Made During Other Animal Surveys; title: Time-Area Count and Strip-Count Techniques; title: Methods of Determining Age; title: Tail Collections; title: Epiphyseal Cartilage and Teeth; title: Techniques for Marking Squirrels in the Field; title: Trapping Squirrels; title: Radio Tracking; title: Planning for Squirrel Monitoring; title: Summary; title: Future Research; title: References for Chapter Twelve; title: ch. Thirteen Management and Conservation of Tassel-Eared Squirrels; title: Introduction; title: Basal Area and Tree Density; title: Landscape Models; title: Forest Restoration; title: Timber Harvest and Management Considerations; title: Ecological Considerations in Management; title: Conservation; title: Management Conclusions; title: Future Research; title: References for Chapter Thirteen.