This squirrel faces no particular threats, has a wide range and is relatively common, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as a "least-concern species".

The fur is typically reddish-brown over most of the body, grizzled with paler yellow, but can be dark brown to near-black, especially in the S. s. tricolor subspecies.

The underparts are white to pale ochre in colour, and separated from the remainder of the body by a narrow band of dark fur.

The cheeks and head range from yellow to reddish-orange, and the tail fades from dark brown at the base to orange along most of its length.

It is found from southern Colombia and western Ecuador, through eastern Peru, northern Bolivia, and Brazil south of the Amazon River.