Disney designed squirrel

drinksgin (deceased) · February 09, 2014, 11:49:09 AM

I saw these on yahoo, live in Moscow parks, a real designer squirrel.
I do see some resemblance to the red squirrels of the North West.
Paul, are you familiar with these?
I have the picture, but cannot find it where it is supposed to be.

:frown

gitano · February 09, 2014, 12:26:11 PM

I'd love to see it when you get it.

Paul

drinksgin (deceased) · February 09, 2014, 07:49:08 PM

I have it on my pictures, but I cannot find it when I try attach it.
I am a real klutz on coompooters!!!!

drinksgin (deceased) · February 09, 2014, 07:57:48 PM

I think I have found it.

Hunterbug · February 09, 2014, 08:08:49 PM

It looks like a cross between a Fox squirrel and an Aberts squirrel.

gitano · February 10, 2014, 08:27:45 AM

I think it is a "Eurasian red squirrel" (Sciurus vulgarus). I think the one in your picture is in it's winter coat and may be a bit of a 'color variant'.

HB's comment about our Abert's squirrel (S. aberti) is about right. Most Americans are completely unfamiliar with the Abert's as it is not commonly hunted due to its small size. There are nine subspecies found mostly over the eastern slope of the Rockies and generally 'southern' (Montana south). All have the tufted ears you see of the "Moscow" squirrel you posted.

Paul

recoil junky · February 10, 2014, 09:08:21 AM

yeah we had the Aberts, (we called them Alberts) in Miles City, along with those giant western grey squirrels (sciurus griseus) the size of a cat. Mom (she grew up in Toledo) thought they were both "so cute" as up to that point all we ever had were "gophers" or those obnoxious pine squirrels seen here.

The little psycho bass-turds follow you through the trees announcing to every elk in 50 miles "HEY!!! HERE"S A MAN WITH A GUN!!!!" so BAWOOM I took one out with the 300RUM.

RJ

gitano · February 10, 2014, 09:22:32 AM

Don't even try to eat one unless you like to eat pine cones, because that's what they taste like - EXACTLY!

Paul

drinksgin (deceased) · February 10, 2014, 09:48:32 AM

Sure you had enough gun?

LvrLover · February 10, 2014, 10:22:46 AM

Doesn't matter what I'm doing in the woods, if I have a 22 or shotgun I shoot every red squirrel on sight. And they taste like pinecones in WI too, Paul.

gitano · February 10, 2014, 07:08:42 PM

They are annoying, bad-tasting, little pests. I let the ones around my house live UNTIL they started digging up my potted plants. They aren't real "human-savvy", and sat on a branch right off my deck and gave me "what for" right up to the moment of bullet impact. I don't particularly like to kill things that I can't find SOME use for. The only value these things have is fly-tying material. Dubbing from the body and "bucktail" from the tail.

Paul

JaDub · February 11, 2014, 10:43:04 AM

What RJ said. NOTHING gives away a stealthy stalk better than one of those darn pine squirrels. " There`s a man with a gun right HERE !!" :frown Never resorted to shooting one `cuz of all the noise however I think a sub sonic .22 pellet pistol would end the problem.

davidlt89 · February 11, 2014, 04:39:53 PM

we have thousands of them around here!!! I just can't bring myself to kill them just to kill them, and I won't allow my son to kill them just for "practice". If I had a use I guess I could see it. they may make a lot of noise but I have never had them "give me up" to another animal!!! God bless.

gitano · February 12, 2014, 08:56:58 AM

Quotebut I have never had them "give me up" to another animal!!!

I'm not sure how to respond to that. It's almost unimaginable.

About the only "good" news I can come up with for the little beasts with regard to "outing" me, is that I have seen them 'cut loose' when they didn't have any idea I was around. I wonder if the rest of the woodland creatures have the same attitude about them as we do?

Paul

buckshot roberts · February 12, 2014, 04:06:46 PM

I don't like'm during deer season,i have eat'em when i was younger, it takes 'bout 15-20 to get me full............Ron