Cute critter faces uphill battle for survival
Southern Arizona is home to a unique subspecies of red squirrel— the Mt. Graham red squirrel. They've evolved in isolation from other red squirrels in the conifer forests of the Pinaleño Mountains. A small habitat range and small population—even when thriving—means these squirrels are more vulnerable to threats. Mt. Graham red squirrels are on the small side, around 8 inches long and weighing in at 8 ounces. Their fur is gray to brown, although it can have a reddish appearance. Photo by Joel Sartore, National Geographic. In 1987, with a proposed observatory threatening critical habitat, they were listed as an endangered species. The squirrels became somewhat famous as environmentalists and Apache fought against the development of the University of Arizona observatory. The University won and the observatory was constructed, but this does have one big positive for the squirrels, which is that in order to develop the land, an agr