Eastern Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis Live to years in the wild

Identification The eastern grey squirrel common comes in black, grey, and rarely reddish colored fur. Distinctive large bushy tail. It is a medium sized squirrel with no size difference between males and females Weigh lbs inches long

Range Native to the eastern half of North America and recently introduced to the northwester section of the United States

Habitat The eastern grey squirrel lives in the upper branches of trees in dense forests. They live here because of the food and shelter provided by the dense vegetation. They commonly live in forests consisting of oak and hickory trees

Diet The grey squirrel is an opportunist when it comes to food but it typically eats buds of trees, seeds, nuts, insects, eggs and apples. The grey squirrel hoards hundreds of nuts over the coarse of the year for use in winter. They reclaim these stashes using smell and their excellent spatial memory.

Mating There are two breeding seasons each year: Winter and Summer. Courtship begins when a female continuously calls down from a tree top with quack-like calls Males then fight to determine who is dominant and then chase the female in the tree tops.

Nest Eastern grey squirrels may build a drey, adopt an abandoned bird nest, or live in a hollow of a tree A drey is a type of nest build in the fork of a tree A grey squirrel’s nest is lined with dry leaves and moss

The Young The gestation period of squirrels is about 44 days. The young are weaned at 7 weeks and leave the nest after 10 weeks. The young reach maturity at 5 and a half months

Predators Grey squirrels must be on the lookout for their many predators These include humans, hawks, skunks, raccoons, cats, snakes, predatory birds, dogs, and weasels.

Defense Mechanisms They can shed the fur on their tail and some tail bones to escape a predator if necessary When in danger while climbing, they move around the trunk of the tree keeping out of sight of predators. They may also remain motionless and use their grey fur as camouflage

Voice Eastern grey squirrels use vocalizations as varied as a squeak, chatter, and rasp. A frequent sound of the grey squirrel is it’s alarm call which is a series of rapid clicking sounds. Rasping calls and tooth chattering are the most common communications between two aggressive squirrels Their tail can act a signal to other squirrels indicating mood.

Interesting Facts The grey squirrel can run 15.5 miles an hour The tail acts a rudder when the animal jumps from high places and as a warm covering in winter and a distraction to predators A dominance hierarchy is maintained by bluffing show of force or chasing rather than fighting Eastern grey squirrels do not hibernate.

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