Spotting Abert’s Squirrels: Tufts, Tails, and Tales

The Aberts Squirrel is a tuft eared squirrel. As they take the Earth’s bounty in the Ponderosa Pine forests, they feast on fungus, mushrooms, and tree sap, which they lick from the trees.

Surprisingly, they are the only squirrels that do not store their food in caches. Even though they look really attractive with their tufted ears, you won’t be able to see this charming characteristic if you visit the park during certain months, because during the months of July through September the squirrels unfortunately lose their tufts on their ears. This does not mean that they lose their whole ear but merely the hair particles that make up the tufts of their ears.

During mating the female squirrel is followed by groups of boys. Through the treetops they chase her for hours at a time, like an unstoppable clock. How tiring that must be. The Aberts squirrel is generally solitary except during breeding and when they are bringing forth young.

Some defining features of the Aberts Squirrel include: a white belly, a white underside of tail, and of course their tufted ears.

The Aberts Squirrel is even the mascot of Flagstaff, Arizona.

All in all the Aberts Squirrels are most known for their tufts on their ears.