Sciurus variegatoides
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
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; the head-and-body length is about 260 mm (10.2 in) with a tail of much the same length. It weighs about 500 g (18 oz). 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... Wikipedia →
Call0:25
Honduras · 2023
© Enrique Mejía · XC992833 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Call0:48
Panama · 2025
© Michael Clay · XC1060872 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording0:25
El Salvador · 2020
© Rodríguez Viky · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Pedro Sula | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 3 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Panama City | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 5 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | |
| 6 | Managua | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | |
| 7 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natura Artis Magistra | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 2 | Parque Municipal Summit | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 3 | Arequipa zoo | 🇵🇪 Peru |
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Variegated Squirrel sighting in San Pedro Sula on a given day, based on 110 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–March and November
In those months about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Variegated Squirrel in San Pedro Sula on a given day, against about 10% in December, the lowest month.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Variegated Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 7 cities where we can rate Variegated Squirrel sightings, San Pedro Sula has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Tegucigalpa (Honduras, about 60%) and San José (Costa Rica, about 50%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Variegated Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in San Pedro Sula (110 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.
