Eastern Grey Squirrel

QUICK FACTS

Color: Grey or grey-brown with a lighter underside
Diet: Herbivorous (Nuts, acorns, seeds, berries)
Habitat: Urban areas, parks, dense woodlands
Average Lifespan: 1 - 6 years
Status: Least Concern (not endangered)

 

Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis); taken in Lowell's Mack Plaza

This squirrel is found across much the United States and Canada east of the Mississippi River. This squirrel can be found in black across the Canadian border, but in Lowell you will only find grey and brown fur.

The eastern grey squirrel prefers large wooded areas with a wide array of available vegetation. They are not picky eaters, however, and have therefore are often found inhabiting urban parks and suburban areas in smaller numbers.

Squirrels' diet of choice is nuts, which it stores underground or in tree hallows for winter time. When the time comes, squirrels use their keen sense of smell to rediscover their stash of food.

Squirrels are an important source of food for birds of prey, red foxes, and other hunters fast enough to catch these speedy scurriers. This squirrel will sometimes give up the fur on their tails or bones in their back as a way of escaping a predators' grasp. Their long, bushy tails serve many other functions. It helps to guide their trajectory while jumping, signals its mood to other squirrels, and provides warmth in the winter.