North Americans come from squirrel country — Canada and USA both have all kinds of squirrels, living in trees and parks everywhere. But Costa Rican squirrels are different. Variegated Squirrels (Sciurus variegatoides) are tree squirrels and are found in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Southern Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. There are some 15 different species of this squirrel, with all kinds of fabulous color variations, one of the most popular being the racing stripe squirrel (pictured). They are not an endangered species, but still a good candidate for the illegal animal trade in Costa Rica, one that nets huge profits for wild animal smugglers. Wildlife trafficking is one of the most profitable transnational organized crime activities in the world, generating between $7 and $23 billion of illicit profit annually. Costa Rica, with its biodiversity, is a well-known hub for wildlife traffickers.

Tico squirrels (ardillas in Spanish) don’t need to hibernate in cold weather, nor hoard nuts and seeds during winter months. They are mostly solitary animals, and have a life span of 8-23 years – a long time for a rodent. Their breeding season is April and May, and the average litter of baby squirrels is 2-8 babies. The young are born blind and naked, with their fur beginning to grow in two weeks. After 30 days, their eyes open and they get teeth. At 10 weeks they are weaned, and at 15 weeks they are ready to leave the nest and live independently.

Mama squirrels (called does, and the males are called bucks), build their nests high up in trees, using twigs and leaves to make them sturdy and waterproof. Their primary predators are weasels, foxes, eagles, owls and snakes – all of whom snatch the baby squirrels right out of their nests to eat. The squirrels themselves eat seeds, fruits and insects which the does scavenge early every morning. The bucks are not involved in raising the young.

Costa Rica has always had a ‘Celebrate the Little Guy’ mentality, given that the country is indeed a “little guy” geographically and in population density. It is only natural, therefore, that a popular children’s story is “El Leon y la Ardilla”, the lion and the squirrel, where the squirrel comes out the hero. The story goes, that a squirrel falls out of a Pochote tree onto a sleeping lion’s head, waking him up. Having already had his breakfast, the lion agrees to not devour the squirrel. In gratitude, the squirrel promises to one day return the favor and save the lion’s life. Several months later, the squirrel discovers the lion hanging in an animal net trap, unable to escape. The squirrel spends several hours gnawing through the net, thereby saving the lion’s life, as promised. The two parted ways as friends.

In many farm areas, squirrels are considered pests, eating through fruit crops and costing farmers dearly. Unusual and creative scarecrows (espantapajaros) can be seen standing in fields, especially in southern Costa Rica. But for many people, especially in Europe, the exotic coloring and long life of a Costa Rican squirrel make it an appealing pet for children, and of course a profitable export for wildlife traffickers. In recent years, however, there has been a plague among squirrels known as Variegated Squirrel 1 Bornavirus, which cost several breeders in Germany their lives.
The English description of someone’s behavior as “squirrelly”, or restless, nervous or eccentric, is not used in Spanish, thereby giving the Costa Rican squirrel more respect than its English-speaking relatives

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