Sciurus griseus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	RODENTIA	SCIURIDAE

Scientific Name:

Sciurus griseus

Species Authority:

Ord, 1818

Common Name/s:

English

–

Western Gray Squirrel

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Assessed:

2008

Assessor/s

Linzey, A.V., Timm, R., Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T., Castro-Arellano, I. & Lacher, T.

Evaluator/s:

McKnight, M. (Global Mammal Assessment Team), Amori, G., Koprowski, J. & Roth, L. (Small Nonvolant Mammal Red List Authority)

Justification:
This species is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category.

History:

1996

–

Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is found throughout Pacific region of the western United States and northern Mexico, from northern Washington state to extreme northern Baja California.
Countries:	Native: Mexico; United States
Range Map:	(click map to view full version)

Population [top]

Population:	This species is considered uncommon. Density estimates vary from 0.25 individuals/ha in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range to 2.8 individuals/ha in mixed coniferous forest.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species occurs in oak-conifer woodlands and in mixed conifer forests. Also found in sycamore, cottonwood and walnut mixed forest.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	This species competes for food with acorn woodpeckers, California ground squirrels and introduced tree squirrels (S. niger and S. carolinensis) Its habitat is also threatened by logging activities. This species is less tolerant to urbanized areas compared to eastern squirrels. This species is also threatened by predation from house cats and is one of the more common squirrel species in traffic mortalities.

Major Threat(s):

This species competes for food with acorn woodpeckers, California ground squirrels and introduced tree squirrels (S. niger and S. carolinensis) Its habitat is also threatened by logging activities. This species is less tolerant to urbanized areas compared to eastern squirrels. This species is also threatened by predation from house cats and is one of the more common squirrel species in traffic mortalities.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	There are no known conservation measures specific to this species. However, there are several protected areas within its range.

Conservation Actions:

There are no known conservation measures specific to this species. However, there are several protected areas within its range.

Citation:	Linzey, A.V., Timm, R., Álvarez-Castañeda, S.T., Castro-Arellano, I. & Lacher, T. 2008. Sciurus griseus. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 09 January 2009.
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