ABERT’S SQUIRREL

Only in winter do the perky ears of Abert’s squirrels grow tassels, or tufts of hair. Tree squirrels don’t hibernate , so a longer winter coat, topped by tassels, warms this species while it forages in its high, snowy habitat. This individual is from an isolated population on Arizona’s mile-high Kaibab Plateau. Separated for thousands of years , the Kaibab population has evolved an elegant white tail instead of the usual gray.