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
Eastern Gray Squirrel in Habitat
Pixabay - Lucy_Prior
Click image to enlarge it











 









Learn more about...
 
Classification Button
Identification
Adaptations Button
Life Cycle
Habitat Needs
Ecological Role Button
 


 
CLASSIFICATION
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.
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!
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.
Adult eastern gray squirrel
Adult Eastern Gray Squirrel
Wikimedia - C. Watts
Click on image to enlarge it
   

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.
     

Juveniles (young): 
  • Young are similar in appearance to adults but are smaller in size.




























 

 
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
Eastern Gray Squirrel Climbing Tree
Perlick Laura, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Click on image to enlarge it
 
  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 Squirrel Burying (Caching) Food
Flickr- Mark Gunn
Click on image to enlarge it
  • 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 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.
Eastern Gray Squirrel Nest
Eastern Gray Squirrel Nest
Wikimedia - Mgr. Jozef Lengyel, PhD.
Click on image to enlarge it
   

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.

 
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.
  



























 
 


















 
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
 
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Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Logo
  
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Logo
     
Alabama Plant Atlas Logo
  
Alabama Butterfly Atlas Logo
     
Missouri Botanical Gardens Logo 2019
 
  
 

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