Description

(L 17-19") (T 8-9") Gray above, with buff underfur showing especially on head, shoulders, back, and feet; underparts paler gray. Flattened tail bushy, gray with silver-tiped hairs. In Canada, some have rufous bellies and tails. Black phase common in northern parts of its range

Similar Species

Eastern Fox Squirrel is larger and has orange-or yellow-tipped tail hairs.

Breeding

1 litter of 2 or 3 young born in spring;second litter born in late summer. Gestation about 44 days

Sign

Gnawed acorn husks or other nutshells, especially hickory, walnut,beechnut, or pecan, littering the ground. Corncobs with only germ and of kernels eaten. IN winter and spring, ragged little holes in snow or earth where squirrels have dug up nut caches. Gnawing on tree trunks and limbs, similar to Porcupine's but with smaller tooth marks and no droppings below. Leaf nests in high tree crotches or limbs (obvious in winter in bare branches); in summer, "cooling beds" or "loafing platforms" (flatter, smaller leaf nests without cavity).

Scat: Small,dark, and oval; seldom conspicuous.

Tracks: Foreprints round, 1" long; hindprints more triangular, 2 1/2" long. When bounding, paired foreprints; sometimes foreprints are between rear parts of hindprints, often directly behind them,leaving tracks like exclamation points (!!); bounding stride ranges from a few inches to over 3'. On snow, foreprints 1 1/2-1 3/4" long, hind nearly 3"long, with claws usually showing. On mud or soft ground, hindprints shorter and rounder because entire pad does not always print, and long toes may print more distinctly. (Rabbit tracks are similar but longer, and foreprints are not paired.)

Habitat

Hardwood or mixed forests with nut trees, especially oak-hickory Forest.

Other

Other