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Mammals of Zihuatanejo

CLASS MAMMALIA


-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Mammals (Class Mammalia)

-Therians (Subclass Theria)

-Placental Mammals (Infraclass Placentalia)

-Primates, Rodents, and Allies (Superorder Euarchontoglires)

-Rodents (Order Rodentia)

-Squirrels, Dormice, and Mountain Beavers (Suborder Sciuromorpha)

-Squirrels (Family Sciuridae)

-Typical and Flying Squirrels (Subfamily Sciurinae)

-Typical Squirrels (Tribe Sciurini)

-Tree Squirrels (Genus Sciurus)

-Central American Tree Squirrels (Subgenus Echinosciurus)

-Red-bellied Squirrel (Sciurus aureogaster)


Sciurus aureogaster, commonly known as the Red-bellied Squirrel, is a species of tree-dwelling squirrel native to the tropical forests of Central and South America. They are found in a wide range of habitats including deciduous and evergreen forests, plantations, and even urban areas. The diet of these squirrels mainly consists of fruits, nuts, and seeds, but they will also occasionally feed on insects and small reptiles. Red-bellied Squirrels are typically solitary animals, but may form small groups when food is plentiful.

Red-bellied Squirrel

Sciurus aureogaster

Diet

  • Omnivorous, feeding primarily on nuts, seeds, acorns, fruits, berries, flowers, buds, bark, and fungi.

  • Also consumes insects, bird eggs, nestlings, and occasionally small vertebrates.

  • Stores food in scattered caches, helping disperse seeds and contributing to forest regeneration.

Range

  • Native to eastern and southern Mexico and Guatemala.

  • In Mexico, it occurs across much of the country, including the Pacific slope and the Zihuatanejo region of Guerrero.

Habitat

  • Inhabits tropical dry forests, tropical evergreen forests, pine-oak forests, gallery forests, mangroves, plantations, parks, gardens, and urban areas.

  • Primarily arboreal, spending most of its time in the tree canopy, where it builds leafy nests (dreys) or occupies tree cavities.

  • Readily adapts to human-modified environments where mature trees are present.

Size

  • Body length: 24–30 cm (9.4–11.8 in)

  • Tail length: 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in)

  • Weight: 500–750 g (1.1–1.7 lb)

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