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Douglas squirrel

Tamiasciurus douglasii · Squirrels · Small game

Douglas squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii): Body 270-355 mm; tail 100-160 mm; 141-312 g. Summer coat reddish- to grayish-brown above with orange chest and belly, unlike its nearest relative the red squirrel. This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and dateOpen the douglas squirrel map

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Douglas squirrel eating while perched on a log
Photo by Hongbin on Unsplash
Scientific name
Tamiasciurus douglasii
Family
Sciuridae
In North America
Native
Range
Southwestern British Columbia south through the coast ranges, Cascades and Sierra Nevada to southern California and northern Baja California.
Biology

How to identify it

Body 270-355 mm; tail 100-160 mm; 141-312 g. [1][2]

Summer coat reddish- to grayish-brown above with orange chest and belly, unlike its nearest relative the red squirrel. [1][2]

Broad bushy tail with a black tip. [1][2]

Black stripe along the sides, absent in juveniles and faded or absent in winter. [1][2]

Winter coat grayer; ear tufts possible in the far north. [1][2]

Compared with the red squirrel: Lacks the orange chest and belly of Douglas squirrel (ADW). [1][2]

Field notes

  • Identification Confirm a douglas squirrel before you act. Compared with the red squirrel: Lacks the orange chest and belly of Douglas squirrel (ADW).[1][2]
Field knowledge

Where it lives

Conifer forest, sea level to 3,300 m; populations generally higher in old growth than younger forest in Washington. [1][2]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Very vocal, with calls from a low 'chir' to an explosive 'bauf' [1][2]

Active year round, usually stays in the nest in severe weather; daily activity dawn to sunset [1][2]

Spring: conifer shoots and bark; fall: cone seeds; stores cones in logs or burrows [1][2]

Summer nests of twigs and moss; winter nests in tree crevices or underground [1][2]

Regulatory handoff

Where it is listed for legal take

These authorities list this species for legal take in their own regulations.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

Southwestern British Columbia south through the coast ranges, Cascades and Sierra Nevada to southern California and northern Baja California.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30

    NatureServe

  2. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology · reviewed 2026-09-30

    University of Michigan Museum of Zoology