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Home | Animals | Mammals | Rodentia | Eastern Gray Squirrel
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Family: Sciuridae Genus: Sciurus Subgenus: Sciurus Species: S. carolinensis
Description
As the name suggests, the eastern gray squirrel has predominantly gray fur but it can have a reddish color. It has a white underside and a large bushy tail. Particularly in urban situations where the risk of predation is reduced, both white and black colored individuals are quite often found. Themelanistic form which is almost entirely black, is predominant in certain populations and in certain geographic areas, such as in large parts of southeastern Canada. There are also genetic variations within these, including individuals with black tails and black colored squirrels with white tails. The head and body length is from 23 to 30 cm, the tail from 19 to 25 cm and the adult weight varies between 400 and 600 grams.
Habitat
In the wild, eastern gray squirrels can be found inhabiting large areas of mature, dense woodland ecosystems, that generally cover 40 hectares of land. These forests usually contain large amounts of dense vegetation that provides sufficient amount of food sources and favorable shelters for eastern gray squirrels. Eastern gray squirrels generally prefer constructing their dens upon large tree branches and within the hollow trunks of trees. They also have been known to take shelter within abandoned bird nests. The dens are usually lined with moss plants, thistledown, dried grass, and feathers. These perhaps provide and assist in the insulation of the den, used to reduce heat loss. A cover to the den is usually built afterwards. Close to human settlements, eastern gray squirrels are found in parks and backyards of houses within urban environments and in the farmlands of rural environments.
Diet
Eastern gray squirrels eat a range of foods such as tree bark, many types of seeds and acorns, walnuts, and other nuts, and some types of fungi found in the forests, including fly agaric mushrooms.
Eastern gray squirrels have a high enough tolerance for humans to inhabit residential neighborhoods and will raid birdfeeders for millet, corn, and sunflower seeds. On very rare occasions, when its usual food source is scarce, eastern gray squirrels will also prey upon insects, frogs, small rodents, including other squirrels, and small birds, their eggs and young. They will also gnaw on bones, antlers, and turtle shells - likely as a source of minerals sparse in their normal diet
Threats
The most important predators of the Gray Squirrel are Hawks, Owls, Red Fox, Raccoons, and Snakes.