The natural history of tassel-eared squirrels

"I live in the middle of an almost two-million-acre ponderosa pine forest--the largest in the world. In moments I can leave my home and be in the habitat of the tassel-eared squirrel, which I have studied for more than twenty-five years. From my dining table I can watch these tassel-eared rascals climb along a branch of a ponderosa pine, clip terminal pine shoots for inner bark, gather pollen cones for their rich golden pine pollen, and consume the seeds from developing ovulate cones. Any of us in Flagstaff, Arizona, or Boulder, Colorado, or Santa Fe, New Mexico, who live in houses placed in the habitat of these squirrels have the opportunity to see these animals whose relationship with the ponderosa pine forest is so unique, since with rare exception these animals live only in ponderosa habitat. Tassel-eared squirrels can bring both endless entertainment and numerous frustrations to homeowners. Some encourage them by placing foods out for them to eat, and others desperately try to keep these one and one-half-pound acrobats from raiding their bird feeders. -- "I receive phone calls from concerned homeowners because a tassel-eared squirrel has decided to use their ponderosa pine trees for feeding: clipping the upper terminal branches, stripping the needles, and creating piles of cone scales below. I assure these worried folks that the tree will not be killed though it will be pruned to some extent, and I urge them to feel fortunate that their trees were selected by the squirrel, because this activity so perfectly demonstrates the unique relationship between the tassel-eared squirrel and the ponderosa pine. -- "These little tassel-eared creatures are so charismatic that anyone seeing them for the first time must smile with surprise. Photographers and artists wish to capture their essence. Backyard naturalists are able to see a special ecological relationship. Scientists now recognize the tassel-eared squirrels as critical indicators of thehealth of the forest."--Sylvester Allred, Author's Notes --Book Jacket.