Isolation of 18 polymorphic microsatellite loci from the North American red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Sciuridae, Rodentia), and their cross-utility in other species

We isolated 18 polymorphic microsatellite loci to be used for pedigree analysis in a wild population of North American red squirrels, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus. Allelic diversity and observed heterozygosity ranged from six to 13 and 0.39 to 0.89, respectively, in a sample of 93 individuals. Up to 13 sets of primers also amplify in other rodent species.