Species: Sciurus carolinensis

Eastern Gray Squirrel
Species
    Kingdom
    Animalia
    Phylum
    Craniata
    Class

    Mammalia

    Order

    Rodentia

    Family

    Sciuridae

    Genus

    Sciurus

    Classification
    Other Global Common Names
    Eastern Grey Squirrel - écureuil gris
    Informal Taxonomy
    Animals, Vertebrates - Mammals - Rodents
    Formal Taxonomy
    Animalia - Craniata - Mammalia - Rodentia - Sciuridae - Sciurus - Individuals inhabiting the Mississippi River floodplain and delta region are smaller than individuals from adjacent areas; allozyme analyses revealed that there are differences among eastern and western populations as defined by their geographic location relative to the present channel of the lower Mississippi River (Moncrief 1993).
    Migration
    true - false - false - Massive movements may occur in some years.
    Non-migrant
    true
    Locally Migrant
    false
    Food Comments
    Diet consists of seeds, fruits, nuts, fungi, occasional insects and small vertebrates (e.g., bird eggs). Scatterhoarder; buries nuts and acorn in fall for later consumption (winter-spring).
    Reproduction Comments
    In Illinois, most breeding occurs in December-February and May-June; slightly later in more northern latitudes (see Koprowski 1994). One or two litters/year. First litter is produced mostly in February-March, sometimes as early as January in some areas; second litter, July or August. Gestation lasts 44 days. Litter size most often is 2-3. Young are tended by female. Weaning is completed at about 10-12 weeks (in spring and/or late summer-early fall). Most breed as yearlings, sometimes sooner (as early as 5 months) or later. Reproductive output, including the percentage of adults that produce young and the number of litters/year, is positively correlated with mast abundance. Maximum reproductive longevity is about a decade.
    Ecology Comments
    Fall density generally ranges from 0.5 to 14/ha, but 3.2/ha generally is considered high for extensive forested tracts; densities of 21/ha or more may occur in city parks; populations tend to increase after bumper mast crops, decrease if mast crop fails (Teaford 1986). May aggregate at abundant food sources. <br><br>Home range averages 0.5-10 ha, with older males tending to have the largest ranges (Teaford 1986); usually home range is less than 5 ha (see Koprowski 1994). Not territorial, home range overlap is extensive; social system is characterized by a linear dominance hierarchy. <br><br>Disperses up to a few kilometers from natal area upon approaching sexual maturity. Large-scale one-way emigrations have been observed, generally coinciding with high population density and mast crop failure. <br><br>Taken by many predators, but predation does not appear to limit populations (Teaford 1986). Mean annual mortality reported for adults is 42-57% (Koprowski 1994).
    Length
    50
    Weight
    710
    NatureServe Global Status Rank
    G5
    Global Status Last Reviewed
    1996-11-06
    Global Status Last Changed
    1996-11-06
    Other Status

    LC - Least concern

    Conservation Status Map
    <img src="http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/GetMapGif?CA.AB=SE&CA.BC=SE&CA.MB=S5&CA.NB=S5&CA.NS=SE&CA.ON=S5&CA.QC=S5&CA.SK=SE&US.AL=S5&US.AR=S5&US.CT=S5&US.DE=S5&US.DC=S5&US.FL=SNR&US.GA=S5&US.ID=SE&US.IL=S5&US.IN=S4&US.IA=S5&US.KS=S5&US.KY=S5&US.LA=S5&US.ME=S5&US.MD=S5&US.MA=S5&US.MI=S5&US.MN=SNR&US.MS=S5&US.MO=SNR&US.MT=SE&US.NE=S3&US.NH=S5&US.NJ=S5&US.NY=S5&US.NC=S5&US.ND=SNR&US.OH=SNR&US.OK=S5&US.OR=SE&US.PA=S5&US.RI=S5&US.SC=SNR&US.SD=SU&US.TN=S5&US.TX=S5&US.VT=S5&US.VA=S5&US.WA=SE&US.WV=S5&US.WI=S5" alt="Conservation Status Map" style="width: 475px; height: auto;" />
    Global Range
    Eastern U.S. and adjacent southern Canada; southern Quebec to Manitoba, south to eastern Texas and Florida. Range has been extended through introductions into Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, California, Oregon, Washington, and Montana (Teaford 1986, Koprowski 1994). Introduced also in the British Isles, Italy, South Africa, and Australia (extirpated by 1973) (see Koprowski 1994).
    ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104371