Wildlife: A Squirrel Forages For Nuts In Trees In Guatemala City Royalty-Free Stock Photography

A squirrel is seen eating on a branch in a park in Guatemala City. The variegated squirrel Sciurus variegatoides is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, southern Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. Fifteen subspecies are recognised. It is a common squirrel and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated it a `least-concern species`. Variegated squirrels kept as pets in Germany have been implicated in the transmission of a bornavirus to humans from which three people have died. The variegated squirrel is a medium-sized squirrel with a tail of much the same length. It weighs about 500g 18oz. The several subspecies differ in appearance and there is often a considerable variation between the appearances of individuals in the same population. The dorsal colouration varies between dark brown to yellowish grey. The neck tends to be darker than other parts and there is often a paler patch behind the ears. The underparts are usually some shade of cinnamon. The tail is long and densely bushy; in Mexico it is black, sometimes with white tips to the hairs giving it a frosted appearance. In Nicaragua and Costa Rica, some individuals have pale underparts and tails. This squirrel is native to Central America, Habitats in which it occurs include both dry deciduous forest and evergreen forest, secondary growth, and plantations, and it can become a crop pest. It is mainly a lowland squirrel.