Mexican gray squirrel

Description

The Mexican gray squirrel (or red-bellied squirrel) (Sciurus aureogaster) is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus native to Guatemala and eastern and southern Mexico. It has been introduced to the Florida Keys. The alternate name should not be confused with the Indonesian red-bellied squirrel (Rubrisciurus rubriventer) or the Asian red-bellied tree squirrel (Callosciurus erythraeus). Since the introduction of the species to Florida in the late 1930s, its nesting locations have become more irregular, nesting in varying species of trees and even choosing to nest in hurricane debris. The genus Sciurus contains most of the common, bushy-tailed squirrels in North America, Europe, temperate Asia, Central America and South America.