To be quite honest, I was not aware of how many different species of Squirrels there are prior to becoming a full-time photographer and artist. When photographing these squirrels at Mt. Lassen National Park I knew that I had not seen this specific species before. After my photo session I had to look up what this species is called and it was a surprise to me to learn that they are called Douglas’ Squirrels.
Some animal species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, marine life, etc., have honorific names. These names are usually given to honor the person that notably "discovered” a particular species. Douglas’ Squirrel was named after David Douglas, a Scottish botanist that explored the Pacific Northwest.
Honorific names are being phased out a bit in bird species in favor of names that are more characteristic of the bird or if the person has a controversial past. Honorific names are not being changed as broadly in other species types at the moment.
BAM☺︎
