31 July 2023

Bangs’s Mountain Squirrel vs Red-tailed Squirrel Identification

Bangs’s Mountain Squirrel (Syntheosciurus brochus)

Bangs’s Mountain Squirrel (Syntheosciurus brochus) is a rarely seen – and even more rarely photographed – squirrel from the highlands of Costa Rica and Panama. It is also frequently misidentified, as a quick search on Google images confirms: the first 10 results are all Red-tailed Squirrels.

The two species superficially similar and some of the local guides in Panama at least misidentify Red-tailed Squirrels as Syntheosciurus. This happened to me when I stayed at Los Quetzales in Panama in 2016 and Fiona Reid corrected me. It has happened to others too since then.

So I wanted to share these fabulous images from Ignacio Yúfera from Tamandua Nature Tours in Panama. The company now has a reserve in the Chriqui Highlands, with I am told very comfortable accommodation, and Bangs’s Mountain Squirrel is regular there at the fruit feeders. Ignacio has taken the best pictures I have ever seen of the species and they help illustrate the differences with Red-tailed Squirrels that are common in the area.

Bangs’s Mountain Squirrel (Syntheosciurus brochus)

Although the colouration is fairly similar, depending on the light, the Bangs’s squirrels have tiny ears and a more ‘vole like’ face.

Red-tailed Squirrel (Sciurus granatensis)

Post Views: 1,170

Post author

Jon Hall
Genetically Welsh, spiritually Australian, currently in New York City. I’ve also lived and worked in London, Canberra, Paris and Lusaka, and watched mammals in over 100 countries.
Post Views: 1,170

Leave a Reply