Sciuridae
Sciurus carolinensis
(eastern gray squirrel)

Image Caption:
A gray squirrel (sciurus carolinensis) pokes its head out of a tree hole in eastern Virginia.  The eastern gray squirrel is the smaller cousin of the fox squirrel (sciurus niger).  The gray squirrel is 38% less massive and 12% shorter than the fox squirrel (extrapolated from Appendix I (Hayssen, 2008)).  Behaviorally they are similar, although their calls and food preferences differ.  Gray squirrels tend to occupy only mature mast (nut) producing hardwood forests (Teaford, 1986).

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Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis carolinensis) Head Poking Out of a Tree
Works Cited:

Hayssen, V.  (2008).  Patterns of Body and Tail Length and Body Mass in Sciuridae.  Journal of Mammalogy.  89(4):852-873.

Teaford, J. W.  (1986).  Eastern Gray Squirrel.  Environmental Research Program, EL-86-6.  Department of the Army.
Image Location: United States, Virginia, Norfolk
Image Date: 2008JAN13
Image Species:  Sciurus carolinensis carolinensis
(EXIF information is accurate – stamped in UTC).

Web Page and Pictures By Peter Leitheiser
Updated: 2009JAN01