The Chiricahua Fox Squirrel (Sciurus nayaritensis chiricahuae) is a rare squirrel found only in the pine-oak belt of the Chiricahua Mountains of Southeast Arizona. Early natualists believed the Chiricahua Fox Squirrel to be the rarest mammal of the Southwestern U. S., however, significant literature has not been published on the biology of the species. Dr. John L. Koprowski, of Willamette University, has been conducting research on the Chiricahua Fox Squirrel, and believes it should be a subspecies of the Mexican Fox Squirrel, not the Apache Squirrel, and that the Chiricahua Fox Squirrel should be protected from hunting.

On one of my field trips to the Chiricahua Mountains, I was priviledged to observe these beautiful squirrels with their magnificent 'fox” tails. Cochise Head, a landmark of the Chiricahua National Monument, peacefully overlooks the squirrels.