SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 // 23
BOOK SHELF // GLIMPSE // WILDLIFE // POP CULTURE // WORDS // Q&A // FOOD // FUN
Tamiasciurus douglasii
Douglas squirrel
By LYNETTE
RAE MCADAMS
Although there are 265
species of squirrels in the
world, the only one to
inhabit the coastline of the
Paciic Northwest is the
Douglas squirrel. Named
for the Scottish botanist
and explorer David Douglas
(who also has a namesake
in the Douglas ir), this
cheery little rodent inhabits
every coniferous forest west
of the Cascade mountains.
Reddish-brown on top, with
tan or orange-white un-
derbellies and a white ring
around the eye, it can grow
to six or seven inches long,
with another ive to seven
inches added for its bushy,
animated tail.
Subsisting mainly on
the seeds within the cones
of spruce, ir and hemlock
trees, Douglas squirrels
prefer old-growth or ma-
ture second-growth forests,
and their presence is a sign
of a healthy woodland
BECAUSE
THEY EAT
ONLY ABOUT
10 PERCENT
OF WHAT
THEY GATHER
AND HOARD,
SQUIRRELS
ARE
RESPONSIBLE
FOR HELPING
SEED OUR
FORESTS,
THEIR BURIED
FOOD TAKING
ROOT TO
BECOME
ANOTHER
TREE.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Douglas squirrels prefer old-growth or mature second-growth
forests, and their presence is a sign of a healthy woodland eco-
system on the Paciic Northwest coast.
ecosystem. Incredibly terri-
torial, a single squirrel will
defend up to six acres of
land, chattering incessant-
ly at trespassers of every
species using a distinctive,
almost bird-like call that
can sound a lot like a scold-
ing. In the unlikely event
that you don’t hear them,
look for piles of stripped
cones and cone scales on
the forest loor — sure
signs of a squirrel’s dinner
table, and a place to which
they always return.
Thinking mainly about
food, T. douglassi spends
much of its time in the
trees, plucking its favorite
cones and tossing them
to the ground, where
they’ll be gathered later
to horde in a specialized
underground squirrel larder
called a midden. Wanting
to keep the location of
the midden a secret from
would-be thieves, the
squirrel often only pretends
to bury a cone, hoping to
deceive any onlookers be-
fore scurrying away to the
real cache. Because they
eat only about 10 percent
of what they gather and
hoard, squirrels are respon-
sible for helping seed our
forests, their buried food
taking root to become
another tree.
Squirrels communicate
through voice changes and
scent markings, as well as
with their tails; used as a
signaling device, the tail is
twitched in fright to alert
other squirrels of danger.
When they feel especially
threatened, squirrels run in
a zig-zag pattern, helping
them evade most preda-
tors, but usually making
matters worse when it
comes to cars.
Depicted in the artworks
of many Native American
cultures, the squirrel sym-
bolizes energy, preparation
and thriftiness.
COASTWEEKEND.COM
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OCTOBER 22 ND
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