Sciurus aureogaster
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The Mexican gray squirrel (Sciurus aureogaster, F. Cuvier), also known as the red-bellied squirrel, is known in Spanish as ardilla gris mexicana or ardilla vientre rojo. The species consists of two subspecies S. a. aureogaster and S.a. nigrescens, which are native to Mexico and Southern Guatemala. The Mexican gray squirrel was introduced to the Florida Keys in 1938 and is considered an invasive species.
Sciurus aureogaster was named in 1829 by Frédéric Cuvier. It is classified as part of the subgenus Sciurus within the broader Sciurus genus of tree squirrels, alongside several other North American and Eurasian species. Due to the species' considerable variety in fur color and patterns across its range, over sixty distinct scientific names have been applied to specimens since its original naming. Consequently, while the possibility that additional subspecies might be present within the species has been raised by taxonomists such as Guy Musser, at present only two subspecies are universally recognized:
Typically has orange to chestnut ventral fur, small postauricular patches, and a white tail accented with black or chestnut... Wikipedia →
Recording0:22
Mexico · 2025
© David Doñez · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:13
Mexico · 2025
© Alicia Bastarrachea · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:27
Mexico · 2018
© Amalia Estrada · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cañón del Sumidero National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Cumbres de Monterrey National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mexico City | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 2 | Guadalajara | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 3 | Monterrey | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 4 | Puebla | 🇲🇽 México | |
| 5 | León | 🇲🇽 México |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chapultepec Zoo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 2 | Zoológico Los Coyotes | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Red-bellied Squirrel sighting in León on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 7 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and November
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Red-bellied Squirrel in León on a given day, against under 5% in March, May–June, August–September and December, the lowest months. Those are among León's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 170 mm in July.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-bellied Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 5
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Red-bellied Squirrel sightings, León ranks 5th at about 20%. The best odds are in Mexico City (México, about 50%), Guadalajara (México, about 40%) and Monterrey (México, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-bellied Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in León (6 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
