Mammals · Rodentia · Sciuridae

Fox Squirrel

Sciurus niger

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The fox squirrel is the largest tree squirrel in North America and prefers open woodland with well-spaced trees and a clear understorey, unlike the grey squirrel, which seeks dense stands. It spends more time on the ground than its relative and stores acorns and nuts in individual caches spread across its territory. Its colouring varies greatly from region to region, and includes almost black melanistic populations in the south of its range.

Weight

500 g – 1.1 kg

Size

45 cm – 70 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestOmnivore Diurnal Solitary Temperate forest Mammal

3countries 12parks22same family

Fun facts

comportamientoIt is one of the largest tree squirrels in North America and can bury thousands of seeds each autumn in scattered individual caches.
Its bones have a pinkish tint from an accumulation of porphyrins, a pigment unusual in mammals: it is one of very few species in the world with a coloured skeleton.
It remembers where it has buried its stores by combining smell with spatial memory, and organises its caches by type of nut, grouping walnuts, acorns and hazelnuts in separate areas.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Open oak and hickory woodland, wooded savanna and urban parks of eastern North America
Sexual maturity: 11.6 months
Gestation / incubation: 44 days
Litter / clutch size: 3

Sources consulted: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_squirrel