WILDLIFE DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE
WILDLIFE SPECIES: Sciurus aberti | Abert's Squirrel 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION : 
The Abert's squirrel is confined to the Colorado Plateau and the
southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico; its
range extends south in the Sierra Madre Occidental to Chihuahua and
Durango in Mexico [17].  Abert's squirrel also extends a short distance
into Wyoming where ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) is present.  Abert's
squirrels transplanted to the Graham and Santa Catalina mountains of
Arizona have established stable populations.  Mellott and Choate [22]
reported Abert's squirrels present in the Spanish Peaks State Wildlife
Area, 43 miles (72 km) southeast of the previously known Abert's
squirrel range.

The distribution of Abert's squirrel subspecies in the Southwest is
coincident with the disjunct ponderosa pine forests [24].  Subspecies
distributions are as follows [17]:

S. a. aberti:  northern Arizona
S. a. barberi:  northwestern Chihuahua
S. a. chuscensis:  New Mexico-Arizona border area
S. a. durangi:  Durango
S. a. ferreus:  Rocky Mountains, central Colorado
S. a. kaibabensis:  Kaibab Plateau, northern Arizona
S. a. mimus:  New Mexico-Colorado border area
S. a. navajo:  southeastern Utah
S. a. phaeurus:  Durango and extreme southern Chihuahua


ECOSYSTEMS : 
FRES21 Ponderosa pine
FRES35 Pinyon-juniper


STATES : 


    
AZ
    
CO
    
NM
    
UT
    
WY






    
MEXICO
    




BLM PHYSIOGRAPHIC REGIONS : 
    7  Lower Basin and Range
   11  Southern Rocky Mountains
   12  Colorado Plateau
   13  Rocky Mountain Piedmont


KUCHLER PLANT ASSOCIATIONS : 
   K019  Arizona pine forest 
   K023  Juniper-pinyon woodland


SAF COVER TYPES : 
   237  Interior ponderosa pine
   239  Pinyon-juniper


SRM (RANGELAND) COVER TYPES : 
   412  Juniper-pinyon woodland


PLANT COMMUNITIES : 
The Abert's squirrel is closely associated with, and nearly confined to,
cool, dry interior ponderosa pine forests [17].  In Arizona ponderosa
pine forests are most extensive between 5,500 and 8,500 feet
(1,676-2,590 m) elevation [27].  Abert's squirrels occur in pure
ponderosa pine stands or stands with associated Gambel oak (Quercus
gambelii), true pinyon (P. edulis), junipers (Juniperus spp.), quaking
aspen (Populus tremuloides), and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
[17].  Findley and others [9] mention that Abert's squirrels are common
in mixed conifer canyons in New Mexico.


REFERENCES : 
NO-ENTRY

Related categories for Wildlife Species: Sciurus aberti | Abert's Squirrel