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Eastern Grey Squirrel

Eastern Grey Squirrel. Sciurus carolinensis Live to 12 . 5 years in the wild. Identification. The eastern grey squirrel common comes in black, grey, and rarely reddish colored fur. Distinctive large bushy tail. It is a medium sized squirrel with no size difference between males and females

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Eastern Grey Squirrel

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  1. Eastern Grey Squirrel Sciuruscarolinensis Live to 12. 5 years in the wild

  2. Identification • The eastern grey squirrel common comes in black, grey, and rarely reddish colored fur. • Distinctive large bushy tail. • It is a medium sized squirrel with no size difference between males and females • Weigh .5-1.5 lbs • 5.9-9.8 inches long

  3. Range Native to the eastern half of North America and recently introduced to the northwester section of the United States

  4. Habitat • The eastern grey squirrel lives in the upper branches of trees in dense forests. They live here because of the food and shelter provided by the dense vegetation. • They commonly live in forests consisting of oak and hickory trees

  5. Diet • The grey squirrel is an opportunist when it comes to food but it typically eats buds of trees, seeds, nuts, insects, eggs and apples. • The grey squirrel hoards hundreds of nuts over the coarse of the year for use in winter. They reclaim these stashes using smell and their excellent spatial memory.

  6. Mating • There are two breeding seasons each year: Winter and Summer. • Courtship begins when a female continuously calls down from a tree top with quack-like calls • Males then fight to determine who is dominant and then chase the female in the tree tops.

  7. Nest • Eastern grey squirrels may build a drey, adopt an abandoned bird nest, or live in a hollow of a tree • A drey is a type of nest build in the fork of a tree • A grey squirrel’s nest is lined with dry leaves and moss

  8. The Young • The gestation period of squirrels is about 44 days. • The young are weaned at 7 weeks and leave the nest after 10 weeks. • The young reach maturity at 5 and a half months

  9. Predators • Grey squirrels must be on the lookout for their many predators • These include humans, hawks, skunks, raccoons, cats, snakes, predatory birds, dogs, and weasels.

  10. Defense Mechanisms • They can shed the fur on their tail and some tail bones to escape a predator if necessary • When in danger while climbing, they move around the trunk of the tree keeping out of sight of predators. • They may also remain motionless and use their grey fur as camouflage

  11. Voice • Eastern grey squirrels use vocalizations as varied as a squeak, chatter, and rasp. • A frequent sound of the grey squirrel is it’s alarm call which is a series of rapid clicking sounds. • Rasping calls and tooth chattering are the most common communications between two aggressive squirrels • Their tail can act a signal to other squirrels indicating mood.

  12. Interesting Facts • The grey squirrel can run 15.5 miles an hour • The tail acts a rudder when the animal jumps from high places and as a warm covering in winter and a distraction to predators • A dominance hierarchy is maintained by bluffing show of force or chasing rather than fighting • Eastern grey squirrels do not hibernate.

  13. To learn more about CREA please visit www.creamaine.org

  14. Work Cited • http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=89 • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_gray_squirrel#Habitat • http://blogshevik.com/squirreltale/?page_id=30 • http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=89 • http://www.beloblog.com/ProJo_Blogs/shenews/08/squirrel.jpg • http://kidoinfo.com/ri/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/squirrel-dreys-web.jpg

  15. http://www.snowmancam.com/images/grey_squirrel.jpg • http://remotesensingiekologia.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/eastern_grey_squirrel_in_st_jamess_park_london_-_nov_2006_edit.jpg • http://www.harmonywildlife.org/images/galsquirrels07.jpg • http://www.gatesheadbirders.co.uk/Design/Assets/images/Red-kite-and-sq-FP-DRG.gif • http://www.beaconhillparkhistory.org/graphics/281_Eastern_Gray_Squirrel_7K250.jpg

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