$Unique_ID{QAD00273}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Col. Abert's Squirrel     (Abert's Squirrel)}
$Subject{Col. Abert's Squirrel     (Abert's Squirrel); Sciurus; Aberti}
$Journal{Quadrupeds of North America:  Volume III}
$Volume{Vol. 3:262-263}
$Genus{Sciurus}
$Species{Aberti}
$Common_Name{Col. Abert's Squirrel}
$Log{
Plate CLIII--Left.*00273P1.scf
Genus*00009.txt}

       Portions copyright (c) Creative Multimedia Corp., 1990-91, 1992

                       A U D U B O N ' S   M A M M A L S

                    By John James Audubon, F. R. S., &c. &c.

                                      AND

                     The Rev. John Bachman, D. D., &c. &c.

                  -------------------------------------------
                                   VOL.  III.
                        --------------------------------


                          SCIURUS ABERTI.--WOODHOUSE.
                                [Sciurus aberti]

                             COL. ABERT'S SQUIRREL.
                               [Abert's Squirrel]

                             PLATE CLIII.--FIG. 1.


     S. Auribus magnis latisque, cristatis longis subnigris cinereisque
crinibus; rubra in dorso striga.


                                  CHARACTERS.

     Ears large and broad, tufted with long blackish grey hairs; a reddish
stripe on the back.


                                   SYNONYMES.

     SCIURUS DORSALIS.--Woodhouse, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phil., June, 1852,
       p. 110.
     SCIURUS ABERTI.--Woodhouse, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., Dec., 1852,
       p. 220.


                                  DESCRIPTION.

     Ears large and broad, with very long tufts; tail very large; fur long,
compact, and soft; claws long, very strong, and much curved; whiskers very long.


                                    COLOUR.

     General colour above dark grey, with the exception of the dorsal line and a
band extending along the external base or hind part of the ear, which is of a
rich ferruginous brown colour; beneath, white, with the exception of the
perineum, which is grey; cheeks greyish white; tail grey above with a broad
white margin, and white beneath; claws of a black colour with the exception of
their points, which are light and almost transparent; whiskers black; iris dark
brown.


                                  DIMENSIONS.

     Dried Skin.                                            Inches.

       Length from nose to root of tail, about,.  .  .  .  13
       From heel to point of longest nail,  .  .  .  .  .   2 8/10
       Height of ears, externally, .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   1 3/10
       Height of ears, to end of tufts,  .  .  .  .  .  .   2 8/10
       Breadth of ears,.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   1
       From ear to point of nose, about  .  .  .  .  .  .   1 7/10
       Tail (vertebrae), about  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   8
       Tail to end of fur,.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  11


                                    HABITS.

     Dr. WOODHOUSE, from whose description we have extracted above, makes the
following remarks:  "This beautiful squirrel I procured whilst attached to the
expedition under command of Capt. L. SITGREAVES, Topographical Engineer U. S.
Army, exploring the Zuni and the great and little Colorado rivers of the west,
in the month of October, 1851, in the San Francisco Mountain, New Mexico, where
I found it quite abundant, after leaving which, I did not see it again."


                           GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.

     So far as shown by the foregoing account, and according to our knowledge,
this squirrel has not been seen except in the San Francisco Mountain, New
Mexico.  It is, however, most likely that it inhabits a considerable district of
elevated and wooded country in that part of our Continent, and may hereafter be
found in California or even Oregon.


                                GENERAL REMARKS.

     We have not been able to procure any further information regarding this
species, which was first named Sciurus dorsalis by its discoverer, but a
subsequent examination having satisfied him that this name had "already been
applied by J. E. GRAY, to one of the same genus," he proposed "to call it
Sciurus Aberti, after Col. J. J. ABERT, chief of the corps of Topographical
Engineers, U. S. Army, to whose exertions science is much indebted."--(Proceed.
Acad. Nat. Sci., Phil., Dec. 1852, p. 220.
     It gives us great pleasure to welcome this beautiful new animal under the
name of Col. ABERT's Squirrel.