Minnesota Seasons - American Red Squirrel

Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy

Conservation Status

Photo by Luciearl

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N5 - Secure

SNR - Unranked

Minnesota

not listed

Description

American red squirrel is a small, noisy tree squirrel, the smallest of the tree squirrels of its range. This pine squirrel is easily recognized by its small size, its red upperside, and its drawn-out, rachet-like chatter.

At maturity it is 11″ to 13¾″ long including the tail.

The head and body are 7″ to 8″ long. In summer the back and sides are dull grayish- to greenish red. In winter they are orangish-red. The head is slightly darker and grayer and there is a prominent white ring around each eye. The underside is white. There is a narrow black band, separating the brown upperside from the white underside, that is visible only in the summer. The legs and feet are yellowish brown.

The tail is 4″ to 6″ long. The upperside is reddish-brown bordered with black and cinnamon. The underside is gray tinged with cinnamon. In winter the fur colors are brighter.

The ears are moderate in size and somewhat pointed. In wither there are tufts of fur on the tips.

Size

Head and body: 7″ to 8″

Tail: 4″ to 6″

Sign

Similar Species

Habitat

Coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests

Ecology

Behavior

Lifespan

Usually less than 5 years

Life Cycle

Nests are usually made by lining a tree hollow. Sometimes a hollow log is used, sometimes a leaf nest is built. The female has one litter of usually 2 to 5 in mid-January to mid-February. The young leave the nest after 40 days. Up to 75% die from predation in the first year. Those that survive may live up to 9 years, though few live more than 5 years.

Food

Distribution
		Sources 7, 24, 29, 30. Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 12/10/2025). Timm, R. M. 1975. Distribution, natural history, and parasites of mammals of Cook County, Minnesota. Occasional Papers, Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota 14:1–56. Hazard, Evan B. 1982. The Mammals of Minnesota. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. 280 pp. The counties in light green lack modern records but have historic county or township specimens or records.
12/10/2025





Northern red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus hudsonicus) range is restricted to the northeastern and northcentral counties. Minnesota red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus minnesota) range includes all but the northeastern and northcentral counties.

Occurrence
Common

Taxonomy

Class

Mammalia (Mammals)

Subclass

Theria

Infraclass

Placentalia (Placental Mammals)

Magnorder

Boreoeutheria

Superorder

Euarchontoglires (Primates, Rodents, and Allies)

Order

Rodentia (Rodents)

Suborder

Sciuromorpha (Squirrels, Dormice, and Mountain Beavers)

Family

Sciuridae (Squirrels)

Subfamily

Sciurinae (Typical and Flying Squirrels)

Tribe

Sciurini (Typical Squirrels)

Genus

Tamiasciurus (Pine Squirrels)

Subordinate Taxa

American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus lanuginosus)

Alaska red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus petulans)

American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus preblei)

Bailey’s red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus baileyi)

Bangs red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus gymnicus)

Black Hills red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus dakotensis)

British Columbia red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus columbianus)

Dixie red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus dixiensis)

Fremont red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus fremonti)

Isle Royale red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus regalis) *

Kenai red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus kenaiensis)

Kupreanof red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus picatus)

Laurentian red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus laurentianus)

Minnesota red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus minnesota)

Mogollon Mountains red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus mogollonensis)

Mount Graham red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus grahamensis)

North Dakota red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus pallescens)

northern red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus hudsonicus)

Richardson red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus richardsoni)

Ruidoso red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus lychnuchus)

southern Appalachian red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus abieticola)

Streator red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus streatori)

talkative red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus loquax)

Ungava red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ungavensis)

Wind River Mountains red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus ventorum)

* Some sources (iNaturalist.org) treat T. h. regalis as a synonym of T. h. hudsonicus.

Synonyms

Sciurus hudsonicus

Sciurus tenuidens

Common Names

American red squirrel

boomer

chickaree

pine squirrel

red squirrel

spruce squirrel

Visitor Photos

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DebMN

American red squirrel

I know a lot gray coloring. My daughter say gray squirrel. If I am wrong do not post.

Ramona Abrego

Lynn Rubey

A Red Squirrel in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge climbing on a tree stump screaming out a warning to another hidden nearby, I back away and the other Red Squirrel ran to safety from the deep grass along the road.

Norm & Peg Dibble

Red Squirrel, February 2016, never seen one before or since. Extremely fast at running away with the peanuts!

Luciearl



		Napping on a hot day.


Napping with a black squirrel after foraging together.

Wayne Rasmussen

Red Squirrel in Maplewood Hts Park. They are feisty critters and can be destructive to property, but they will deter the larger gray squirrels.

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus Less than half as large as the gray, this noisy little squirrel is Minnesota's smallest tree squirrel. It is found in every county of the state, but is most common in evergreen (conifer) forests.
— MN DNR

Cascade SP residents include a variety of squirrels. These were captured with a Sony CD1000 digital camera in June of 2001.

MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

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Red Squirrels
Andree Reno Sanborn

About

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Red Squirrel)
Allen Chartier

About

American Red Squirrel
Doug Scobel

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Visitor Sightings

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Steve and Kari Wagner
6/15/2024

Location: City of Woodbury, MN

Pair of Red Squirrels have established home around our house and in our trees.

DebMN
7/28/2022

Location: Mound, MN

I know a lot gray coloring. My daughter say gray squirrel. If I am wrong do not post.

John Valo
7/29/2022

It's hard to tell from this photo, but…

the eye rings appear white and prominent
the tail appears reddish, rather than gray or brown

I can't say that this is not a red squirrel, and a double negative is as good as a positive.

Lynn Rubey
10/28/2019

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

A Red Squirrel in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge climbing on a tree stump screaming out a warning to another hidden nearby, I back away and the other Red Squirrel ran to safety from the deep grass along the road.

Luciearl
5/29/2018