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Animals in Fir Trees

Fir trees are coniferous evergreens of the genus Abies. They are found mostly in cooler and mountainous areas throughout the world. The animals that live in or visit fir trees might be beneficial to the tree by spreading its seeds. Some might be harmful because they eat too many of its needles or bore into its wood, and some have no effect on the tree for good or for ill.

Pine Grosbeak and Pine Siskin
- The pine grosbeak is a 9-inch-long bird. The male is a purple red color, while the female is a dull olive yellow. It builds a nest of moss, twigs and heather in the branches of firs and other conifers. The pine grosbeak lives in the northern forests of North America, Europe and Siberia. The pine siskin is not very colorful, but the acrobatic bird has learned to feed upside down to best get at the seeds from the cones of fir trees. It's a 5-inch long bird that breeds in North America and the mountains of Mexico and builds its nest in coniferous trees.
Pine Tussock Moth
- The caterpillars of the pine tussock moth is sometimes a pest of fir trees. The females of some species of tussock moths are wingless or nearly so. The pine tussock moth is found in northeastern North America. The spruce-bud worm caterpillar, found in Canada, the northern U.S. and Colorado, also feeds on fir trees.
Pine Borer
- This metallic green insect is attracted to the pithy wood of firs, pines and spruces. It's about 1/2 inch long. The pine borer lays its eggs on a fire scar or the exposed pith of a tree. When the larvae hatch, they bore into the wood. It takes years for them to mature. The beetle might even lay eggs on the floors and woodwork in houses and barns, and the larvae may feed to the point of destroying these structures.
Eurasian Red Squirrel
- The Eurasian red squirrel lives in deciduous and coniferous forests in Europe and northern Asia. It prefers large mature trees, including fir trees, that have cavities in them to provide nests. The fur of the Eurasian red squirrel ranges from light red to black and they have white or creamy belly fur. It has long tufts of hair on its ears and a bushy tail. There are populations where only one color of squirrel live. In Great Britain, all the Eurasian red squirrels are red; in the Sila region of southern Italy all the Eurasian red squirrels are black. The squirrel also chooses a tree so it can easily forage on its seeds. It eats coniferous seeds as well as acorns and nuts, and has been known to peel back the bark of coniferous trees to lick the sap.

Animals & Science