Mount Graham red squirrel

Physical The Mount Graham red squirrel is a generally tiny squirrel weighing on average around and measuring about in length. The skull of the subspecies is rounded and its teeth are low-crowned. Mount Graham squirrels usually eat a diet of mixed seeds, conifer cones and air-dried fungi. ==Habitat==

Historically, the Mount Graham red squirrel inhabited about of spruce-fir, mixed-conifer and ecotone zone habitats that were generally at higher elevations throughout the Pinaleño Mountains. Recent data shows that it occurs more frequently at the ecotone zone than the other habitats. When choosing a potential nesting site, the squirrels typically pick a cool, moist area with an abundance of food sources. Drought, forest fires, and insect infestation have been responsible for a decrease of the squirrel in the spruce-fir habitat. ==Conservation==

The Mount Graham subspecies was believed to be extinct in the 1950s, but was "rediscovered" in the 1970s. After its rediscovery, it was suggested for threatened or endangered species status under the Endangered Species Act in 1982. On May 21, 1986, the subspecies was officially recommended to become an endangered species, and effective June 3, 1987, was listed as endangered. In September 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to consider if the squirrel needed further protection. They were petitioned under a procedure of the Endangered Species Act by a group that contends it is necessary to remove the observatory and other private structures. ==References==