Arizona gray squirrel

The Arizona gray squirrel (Sciurus arizonensis) is a tree squirrel of the family Sciuridae found in canyons and valleys in eastern Arizona, New Mexico and Sonora in northern Mexico. It lives in the mountains from low pine-oak forest to higher coniferous forest, and is most numerous in broadleaf riparian forest with large cottonwood and sycamore trees. It is silvery gray with a white to cream belly and a gray tail frosted with white, has small untufted ears and a red and black stripe under the tail, and is more closely related to the fox squirrel than its appearance suggests. Abert squirrel, the only other large squirrel in its range, has ear tufts and lives in pine forest. It nests in woven twig dreys or tree cavities and eats tree seeds, sap, bark, galls, flowers and fungi. Habitat loss and competition from Abert squirrel have caused some decline, and the species is hunted for meat across most of its range.