How to Tell What Type of Squirrel is in Your Yard
So you’ve been noticing the squirrels in your yard, and you’re wondering how to tell what type of squirrel they are. The good news is that there are three very easy ways to tell! You can identify the species by its size, habitat, and behavior! Read on to learn more about these three different types of squirrels. This article will explain what each of them looks like and what you can do to spot them.
Identifying squirrels
Squirrels are small gray rodents with bushy tails. Their fur ranges from gray to brown, with pale white undersides. Their bushy tails are covered with silver-tipped hairs. They spend much of their time in trees, feeding on berries and bark. Their bodies are elongated and they stand on their hind legs. Squirrels can recall thousands of food sources, and they can be hard to spot.
Squirrels can squeeze through openings as small as one quarter-inch. Typically, squirrels enter homes through the attic. They chew on the insulation, wood, and construction gaps to gain entry. Once inside, squirrels will quickly discover wiring in walls and attics. This is a sign that the rodent is looking for a place to build a nest. Once inside, they’ll likely chew on the wiring to make their way out.
Habitat
The overwintering survival of squirrels and other mammals depends on their habitat. In some species, such as flying squirrels, climatic factors can determine survival and reproduction. In other species, winter weather can affect overwintering survival only to a small extent, while increased winter precipitation increases reproductive output. The main habitat of arboreal squirrels is the boreal forest, which is under heavy human use. The wintering habits of flying squirrels may be influenced by changes in the distribution of tree masts in trees, as well as changes in the climate and other variables.
Squirrels prefer densely forested areas with thick canopies and plenty of nut-producing trees. These areas provide perfect living conditions for these animals. They are also protected from predators and can be easily seen in cities like Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In some cities, as many as 50-60 squirrels may live in one square kilometer, homeowners might need professional squirrel control services. Here are some tips to protect your property from this problem:
Size
Squirrels are amazingly large creatures. Even the tiniest ones can fit in the palm of your hand, but the biggest ones can reach more than two feet in length. Squirrels vary in size from species to species, but on average, they measure about twelve inches or 30 centimeters in length. They can grow to weigh three to five pounds, but can be as large as eleven kilograms.
Red squirrels grow to about 45cm (18 in.) in length, and their tails are about 20cm (8 inches) long. Grey squirrels are generally larger than red squirrels, reaching a maximum length of 55cm (2 ft.) and a tail that measures 25cm (10 in.). Grey squirrels, on the other hand, can grow to as much as 26cm (1 ft.) long, which makes them the largest.
Behavior
There are a few easy ways to tell which type of squirrel you’re looking at. While gray squirrels and red squirrels are similar in appearance, they are not the same. Gray squirrels are multicolored and look like cinnamon on the outside. They can sometimes be confused with red squirrels, so it’s important to look for tufts of fur on the ears. If you spot these tufts, you’ll know which species to avoid.
One way to tell which type of squirrel is in your neighborhood is by looking for a distinctive vocalization. Gray squirrels make a raspy bark when they’re worried about predators. The sound is similar to a small dog barking. Here’s a short video clip of a gray squirrel barking. Red squirrels, on the other hand, make a lot of noise and can communicate with each other through chatter, squeals, and territory overlap.
Diet
A good way to tell what kind of squirrel is visiting your home is to observe what it eats. Generally, squirrels love nuts, seeds, fungi, fruits, and bird eggs. Peanuts and salted nuts are not suitable for squirrels as they have no nutritional value. A squirrel is not a picky eater, but it will eat nearly anything, even chocolates. If you find your squirrel eating a banana, don’t panic! It will probably still enjoy a banana, but you may be able to identify what it ate.
Other foods squirrels love are cereals and bread. Many types of bread contain a lot of sugar, which makes them unhealthy for them. Unlike vegetables, they have a harder time digesting cellulose. As a result, you should never feed your squirrel a cereal if it’s not its usual diet. But if you don’t know what else to feed your squirrel, you can always offer it to them and see if they will take it.
How can you tell if a squirrel is a ground squirrel or a tree squirrel?
Answer: Ground squirrels are typically smaller with shorter tails and legs made for digging and running along the ground while tree squirrels are larger have longer tails and limbs for climbing and spend more time in trees.
How can you tell if a squirrel is a juvenile or an adult?
Answer: Juveniles have softer less developed fur and may have spots on their coats while adults have darker duller fur and no spots.
How do you tell the difference between a male and female squirrel?
Answer: Males tend to be larger than females and have larger tails.
Females also have two mammary glands on their chest while males only have one.
How can you tell if a squirrel is sick?
Answer: Sick squirrels may have a ruffled coat be lethargic have diarrhea and be vomiting.
How can you tell if a squirrel is injured?
Answer: Injured squirrels may hold a limb awkwardly have open wounds or be bleeding.
How can you tell if a squirrel is scared?
Answer: A scared squirrel may have its fur standing on end be twitching its tail and have its ears flattened against its head.
How can you tell if a squirrel is angry?
Answer: An angry squirrel may be hissing boxing with its paws and baring its teeth.
How can you tell if a squirrel is happy?
Answer: A happy squirrel may be chattering its teeth running and leaping playfully and grooming itself.
How can you tell if a squirrel is in pain?
Answer: A squirrel in pain may be whining or crying panting and be very still.
How can you tell if a squirrel is thirsty?
Answer: A thirsty squirrel may be lapping up water licking its lips and panting.
How can you tell if a squirrel is cold?
Answer: A cold squirrel may be shivering have its fur fluffed up and be huddled close to the ground.
How can you tell if a squirrel is hot?
Answer: A hot squirrel may be panting have its fur flattened against its body and be licking its fur.
How can you tell if a squirrel is full?
Answer: A full squirrel may have a rounded belly and be grooming itself.
How can you tell if a squirrel is hungry?
Answer: A hungry squirrel may be sniffing around for food foraging and acting restless.
How can you tell if a squirrel is about to give birth?
Answer: A squirrel about to give birth may be nesting be more lethargic than usual and have its nipples swollen.
Jessica Watson is a PHD holder from the University of Washington. She studied behavior and interaction between squirrels and has presented her research in several wildlife conferences including TWS Annual Conference in Winnipeg.
