Squirrel species living in the United States

To date, researchers have recorded 200 squirrel species, and of this number, 5 have made the United States their home. Ground, fox, flying, gray and red fox are the 5. While fox and ground squirrel spend most of their days on the ground, red and gray fox are tree dwellers whereas the flying squirrel, well, flies. The flying squirrel’s flight is aided by a membrane which connects its ankles and wrist. This type of squirrel doesn’t really fly but glides. Squirrels are generally characterized by a body full of furs and elongated ears.

Grey Squirrel

There are two types of grey squirrel: eastern and western gray squirrel. While the western gray squirrel is mostly found along the coast of America’s west, the eastern gray squirrel inhabits the northeastern part of the United States and even some parts of Europe. Known for the incredible large size, the furry coat of the grey squirrel is of different colors, most notably red, black, and cream.

Fox Squirrel

With the exception of the eastern coast, this specie of squirrel lives in every other corner of the United States. Talking about size, no specie of squirrel beats the fox squirrel. It measures 17 inches, and sometimes grows to 27 inches. While some types of fox squirrels have dark to gray colored fur with a touch of gold color on its undersides, the other has a red like fur. Squirrels with dark colored fur can easily be identified with their black colored head and white colored nose. Fox squirrels with red fur, on the other hand are characterized by the absence of white markings.

Red squirrels

This tree dwelling critter is characterized by furs which turn gray-red during summer, and then orange-red as soon winter starts. It has the size half that of the gray squirrel, and spend most of its time on trees. Red squirrels aren’t welcoming, and will whistle very loudly whenever an uninvited guest comes visiting. They live mostly in pine forest, hence known as pine squirrels.

Ground squirrels

The ground squirrel dominates the population of squirrels living in the United States. They live mostly in burrows, especially in places like prairies. Of the several species of ground squirrel, the California ground squirrel, white tailed squirrel and thirteen lined ground squirrel are the commonest. The ground squirrel due to its feeding habit is considered as a pest by gardeners and homeowners.

Flying Squirrel

The flying squirrel is of two types: the southern flying squirrel and the northern flying squirrel, and they both live in the United States. Of the two, the northern flying squirrel is the largest. This specie of squirrel is mostly found in regions with high elevation. Typical example include California, Arizona, Alaska, Michigan, Appalachian and Adirondack mountains. The southern flying squirrel on the other hand lives mostly in the eastern part of the United States. Hunting this is pretty difficult because they are mostly active at nights.

Squirrels, irrespective of their specie are destructive in nature. Squirrel MACE, a powerful repellent solution specially created for the serious minded gardener, is needed to keep this critters away.