Eastern Gray Squirrel
While many of Oklahoma’s native wildlife species have a tough
time adjusting when humans move into their habitat, the Eastern
gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is certainly an exception
to the rule.
Gray squirrels use our attics for homes, our power lines as
highways and our bird feeders as their personal buffet tables.
They inhabit the eastern half of the U.S., and have adapted well
to our backyards and parks.
The gray squirrel is a medium sized – measuring around 17 inches
from nose to tail and weighing approximately one pound. Both
sexes are the same size and covered with soft fur that may range
in color from light gray to light red.
The most notable physical feature of the gray squirrel is its
large, bushy tail, which is comprises about half its total
length. In fact, the Latin word for squirrel, sciurus, comes
from a Greek word meaning tail. The tail has many important
functions other than looks. It acts as a rudder when the
acrobatic animal jumps from tree to tree, as a sun shade, as a
warm covering during the winter, and as a signal to other gray
squirrels indicating an individual's mood. The tail can even be
used to distract a pursuing predator.
Gray squirrels live 10 to 12 years and typically do not roam
far from the place where they were born. Their home range
consists of between 1 and 7 acres of mast-bearing hardwood
trees. Mast is any hard fruit such as acorns, hickory nuts,
pecans or walnuts and is among the squirrels favorite foods.
However, these aerial acrobats are part of the rodent family and
are opportunistic feeders that may eat flowers, buds, fruit,
cones and samaras (fruit of maple trees), even mushrooms
depending on what is in season
They prefer cavities in the trees to escape predators, for
winter shelter and to raise their young. When cavities aren’t
available, they will also build a nest out of leaves and twigs
high in a tree.
Although the squirrels can reproduce year round, most litters
are born in the spring. After a gestation period of 42 days, a
litter of 3 to 5 blind, hairless babies are born and the mother
assumes all parenting roles until the young squirrels are able
to fend for themselves at about three months of age.
While in the nest, young squirrels are vulnerable to snakes and
raccoons and once they grow up they are constantly on the look
out for other predators including foxes, bobcats, coyotes, hawks
and even owls. In urban areas, dogs, cats and cars can also take
their toll on squirrel populations.
Squirrels are well known for the habit of burying and hiding
nuts during the fall to supplement their winter diet. The nuts
are usually very close to the surface and the squirrels do not
remember where the nuts are, but find them using their keen
sense of smell. Inevitably, a large percentage of these cached
nuts are never found and come up as seedlings the next spring.
So, next time you watch an eastern gray squirrel scurrying
around your yard, local park or the forest, enjoy the sight and
take pleasure in knowing that it is doing its part to refurbish
the forest habitat.