Wonders of Wildlife: Eastern Gray Squirrel

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Other Common Names: Gray Squirrel, Cat Squirrel, Migratory Squirrel

Scientific Name: Sciurus carolinensis

Found in Alabama: Common statewide

Diet: Omnivore (eats plants and animals)

Eastern Gray Squirrel in Habitat
Pixabay – Lucy_Prior

Learn More About...

Classification

IDENTIFICATION

Adaptations

Life Cycle

Habitat Needs

Ecological Role

CLASSIFICATION

Scientists use basic traits to
group animals into different taxonomic
classes.

For a taxonomic classification chart comparing key traits of common backyard wildlife,
CLICK HERE!

What type of animal am I?

I am a vertebrate (an animal with a spine or backbone).
I am warm-blooded, so I can control my body temperature.
I have hair/fur on the outside of my body that keep me warm.
I breathe with lungs just like you.
I have 4 legs.

The Eastern Gray Squirrel is a MAMMAL!

IDENTIFICATION TIPS

Size:

Adults reach around 16-20 inches in length and weigh around 1-1.5 pounds.

Key Characteristics:

Grey coloration on the back and ligher on the belly
Bushy tails
Each strand of hair has black, white, and red banding making them appear gray in coloration.

Young:

Young are similar in appearance to adults but are smaller in size.

Adult Eastern Gray Squirrel
Wikimedia – C. Watts

PHYSICAL AND BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS

PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS

Eastern Gray Squirrels forage in the trees:

Eastern gray squirrels are known to forage for seeds and other resources both in the trees and on the ground.
They prefer to forage in the trees because they can more easily escape from predators (animals that eat them) or other threats.
They have excellent balance and are quick when jumping from tree to tree.
They can also turn their hind feet to face backward in order for them to easily climb down the tree head first.

Eastern Gray Squirrel Climbing Tree
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Perlick Laura

Eastern Gray Squirrels have heightened senses:

Eastern gray squirrels have several adaptations relating to their senses that help them survive.
They have a heightened sense of smell that helps them food.
Their sense of smell is also used to detect the stress levels of other eastern gray squirrels. This is helpful because it can help them determine if there is a threat in the area. If they detect higher levels of stress, it would indicate that there is a threat nearby.
Their eyes are specialized for high levels of light and are tilted slightly upward. these traits are helpful for making it easier for them to spot a predator (animal that eats them) from above.

BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS

Eastern Gray Squirrels are diurnal:

They are active during the day (diurnal).

Eastern Gray Squirrels store their food:

Eastern gray squirrels are scatter hoarders, meaning they cache (store) food sources like nuts and seeds.
Storing large amounts of food is beneficial to them because they do not hibernate.
They must rely on the extra stored food to get through the colder months when a variety of food sources might be less available.

Eastern Gray Squirrel Burying (Caching) Food
Flickr- Mark Gunn

Eastern Gray Squirrels have seasonal behaviors:

Eastern gray squirrels change their behavior according to the season.
During the warmer summer months, they are most active about 2 hours after sunrise and about 2 – 4 hours before sunset. This allows them to rest during the warmest hours of the day.
During the winter, eastern gray squirrels are more active throughout the day.

LIFE CYCLE

Life Cycle Stages of the Eastern Gray Squirrel

Nest:

Nests are made from sticks and leaves and are located high in trees.

Young:

Females give birth to 2-4 babies in each litter and can have two litters each year.
Young are similar in appearance to adults but are smaller in size.

Life Span:

Average of 7 years but can potentially live up to 12.5 years.

Eastern Gray Squirrel Nest
Wikimedia – Mgr. Jozef Lengyel, PhD.

HABITAT NEEDS

Natural Habitat Needs	Adults	Young
Food	In summer months, they feed on plant buds, mushrooms, crops, and some insects. They also feed on fruits from wild cherry, dogwood, hawthorn, and gingko. In winter months, they feed on seeds from oaks, hickory, walnut, and pecan trees as well as other nuts and pinecones. They will also eat bird eggs and nestlings, frogs, and bones.	The young feed on milk from the mother for the first 7-10 weeks after birth.
Water	Majority of water is obtained through food sources, but they will drink from streams, ponds, puddles, and pools of standing water that collects in tree cavities.	Obtain hydration from mother until independent.
Shelter	They live in hardwood forests and mixed pine/hardwood forests. They will utilize natural cavities or old woodpecker holes for shelter.	Nests in trees or cavities provides shelter for the young.
Places to Raise Young	Females use natural cavities if they are available. Females build nests (called dreys) made of leaves and twigs. These placed relatively high in the forks of trees.

If you want to offer resources in your backyard habitat for this species, consider the suggestions below.

Backyard Habitat Needs	Adults	Young
Food	Plant grain producing plants (corn), seed producing trees (oak and walnut), and shrubs.	Providing resources to support the parents will indirectly support the young because the young rely on the mother for milk.
Water	If a natural water source is not located nearby, provide a bird bath or another form of standing water.
Shelter	Do not remove mature trees. Plant shrubs and other greenery that would provide a hiding place.
Places to Raise Young	Keep mature trees where they can build their nests (dreys). Provide a nest box that can act as a cavity.

ECOLOGICAL ROLE

Animals play an important ecological role in the health of habitats and ecosystems.

Food Source:

Eastern gray squirrels are eaten by other mammals including red foxes, coyotes, bobcats, and weasels.
Birds of prey including red tailed hawks and owls as well as rattlesnakes also eat them.

Seed Dispersal:

Eastern gray squirrels eat seeds from a variety of plants and cache (store) their food sources.
This helps promote seed dispersal (movement to a new location) for those plant species.

INFORMATION SOURCES FOR THIS SPECIES

Best, T. L. and J. L. Dusi. 2014
Mammals of Alabama
The University of Alabama Press

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