m_streicher's Identifications

This organism was about 12 inches long from head to tail. Its head was relatively small compared to its body and the tail was about the same length as its body. Its fur was mostly brown with some gray, and on its underside the fur was white. The organism had a long bushy tail that was also brown and gray, and small, pointed ears. The organism was observed climbing onto and hanging onto a tree, and when it descended it was able to do so head-first. The long, slender body of the organism, short skull, combined with its bushy tail which was the same length as its body, the organism's retreat into a tree, downward climbing abilities, and white fur on its underside indicate that the organism was a tree squirrel, a member of genus Sciurus. This conclusion is supported by the Encyclopedia Britannica, which describes the bushy, long tail, climbing abilities, short head and slender build of tree squirrels, which matches the characteristics seen in the organism (Encylopedia Britannica). According to the Animal Diversity Web, tree squirrels are classified in Genus Sciurus (Animal Diversity Web). The organism was observed in an urban habitat, a university campus, which had many large trees in close proximity to each other yet separated by landscaping. The habitat was situated in a warm, humid climate in a subtropical zone. The weather on the day of this observation was warm and sunny. The organism was not domesticated as it entered and left the area as it pleased and thus its presence was not controlled by people. In North America, tree squirrels are found in regions with trees, mostly forests, which range from boreal forests in Canada and Alaska, to coniferous and deciduous forests in the United States (Encyclopedia Britannica). The organism was observed in a habitat with many cultivated deciduous trees, thus fitting this distribution.
References:
https://www.britannica.com/animal/squirrel
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Sciurus/classification/