Variegated Squirrel (Sciurus variegatoides) lives in tropical rainforest across Central America. It feeds on nuts and seeds. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Variegated Squirrel
- Variegated squirrels kept as pets in Germany have been linked to a deadly bornavirus that caused three human deaths. In 2015 a novel virus, later named variegated squirrel 1 bornavirus, was detected in captive squirrels and a genomic study found it in the liver, kidney and lung of one specimen. The three squirrel breeders who died suffered a progressive encephalitis over two years, and researchers concluded the virus was the likely cause.
- Unlike many squirrels in colder regions, the variegated squirrel does not store food for later use. It feeds directly on a variety of seeds, fruits and occasional insects, even taking small nestlings when available. Because it does not hoard, it contributes little to seed dispersal, relying instead on immediate consumption of resources found in its forest and plantation habitats.
- The variegated squirrel is chiefly a lowland animal, inhabiting areas from sea level up to about 1,800 m, and it may even be found slightly higher in Costa Rica. Its range spans the lowland forests of southern Mexico through Central America to Panama, occupying dry deciduous, evergreen and secondary growth forests as well as plantations.
- Active by day, the variegated squirrel rarely comes down to the forest floor, preferring to move through the canopy. At night it retreats to a nest it builds itself, often fashioning a leafy cup in the fork of a branch close to the trunk. Occasionally it will use a natural cavity, such as a hole in a tree, for shelter. This habit keeps it safe from many ground predators while it rests.
- The variegated squirrel is a medium-sized tree squirrel, with a head-and-body length of about 260 mm and a tail that is roughly the same length, giving it a balanced silhouette. Adults weigh around 500 g, making them solid and compact for arboreal life. Fifteen recognised subspecies show considerable variation in colour, from dark brown to yellowish-grey dorsally, with some individuals displaying pale underparts or frosted tail tips.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeCentral America
HabitatTropical rainforest
DietNuts and seeds
About the Variegated Squirrel
In the lush canopies of Central America's tropical forests, the variegated squirrel dances with effortless abandon, its agility and nimbleness allowing it to weave through the dense foliage with a fluidity that belies its tiny size. As it moves, the dappled sunlight catches its grey and brown fur, creating a mesmerizing mosaic of color that seems to shift and shimmer with every twitch of its bushy tail. With an irrepressible energy, the variegated squirrel darts from branch to branch, its very existence a testament to the boundless vitality of the forest ecosystem.
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