A colorful tree squirrel found in Central America, from southern Mexico through Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Its name, “variegated,” means mixed or varied in color, which fits it perfectly. Unlike squirrels, which have a single coat color, this species can look very different depending on where it lives. Some individuals are grayish, others brown, yellowish, rusty, blackish, or even frosted-looking on the tail. This wide color variation makes it one of the region’s more visually interesting squirrels.

One thing that makes the variegated squirrel stand out is its ability to live in a wide range of tropical habitats. It can be found in dry forests, wet forests, open woodland, scrubland, secondary growth, and plantations. This makes it more flexible than squirrels that depend on one narrow type of forest. It is mostly a tree squirrel and spends much of its time climbing, jumping, and moving through branches, though it may also come down to the ground to search for food. Its long, bushy tail helps it balance like a built-in rudder as it moves through the trees.

The variegated squirrel mainly eats seeds and fruits, but it may also take insects and even small nestlings when available. This flexible diet helps it survive in changing forests and near farms or plantations. It is active during the day and usually sleeps in a leafy nest, often built in the fork of a branch near the trunk. Compared with squirrels from colder places that hide large amounts of food for winter, the variegated squirrel does not rely much on food storage because its tropical home usually provides food across the year.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Costa Rica

2016

El Salvador

2016

Guatemala

2016

Honduras

2016

Mexico

2016

Nicaragua

2016

Panama

2016