Hangin' Out
by Deena Stoddard
Title
Hangin' Out
Artist
Deena Stoddard
Medium
Photograph - Digital Art
Description
Eastern Gray Squirrels are the most frequently seen mammal in our area. They are members of the Rodent family, and spend most of their lives in trees. They can grow 17 to 20 inches long. They have grayish-brown fur, except for their bellies, which have pale fur. The tail often has silvery-tipped hairs at the end. This animal does have a black phase, which means some of them are nearly all black; but these are not as common. Eastern Gray Squirrels usually live in forests, but they are also seen in yards, gardens, and city parks. Basically, they live anywhere there are large, deciduous trees. These squirrels live in trees year-round, either in cavities or nests they build out of leaves. Cavities are often old woodpecker holes. Nests are usually high up in tree crotches. Nests are hard to see in the summer, because they are made with green leaves, and are hidden by foliage. They are easy to see in the winter, when the nest leaves have turned brown and tree leaves fall to the ground. The trees most commonly used by Eastern Gray Squirrels to live in are White Oak, American Beech, American Elm, Red Maple, and Sweetgum, though they will use others also. Squirrels mate in the winter, and you can often see males chasing females up, down, and around trees. Once mated, both the male and female build the nest. They have two litters each year. The first is in the spring, the second in late summer. Two or three young are in each litter. The second litter spends the winter with their mother. Eastern Gray Squirrels usually live to be about five years old. They survive with their good sense of vision, smell, and hearing. They also have incredible balance. They rarely fall from trees and hurt themselves. They can run headfirst down a tree trunk and are also excellent swimmers. This squirrel's greatest tool may be its tail. It uses it for balance, shade from the sun, as an umbrella, a blanket, and as a rudder when swimming. Eastern Gray Squirrels are very active, especially in the morning and evening. During these times they are constantly moving. Usually, they are looking for food. The diet of Eastern Gray Squirrels includes: acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, beechnuts, maple (buds, bark, and samaras), Yellow Poplar blossoms, American Hornbeam seeds, apples, fungi, Black Cherry, Flowering Dogwood, grapes, sedges, grasses, American Holly, insects (adults and larvae), baby birds, bird eggs, and amphibians. Sometimes they even eat each other! They will also visit birdfeeders, dig up flower bulbs, and steal garden vegetables. Squirrels will often bury their food at a new spot, near the surface of the ground. In winter, when food is scarce, they will use their sense of smell to relocate their "secret" food. They don't always find all of their stashed food, so they help "plant" new trees and plants, letting them grow in new places. The most important predators of Eastern Gray Squirrels are hawks, owls, Red Fox, raccoons, and snakes. Sometimes you will see a nearly bald squirrel. This means it is suffering from mange, an illness caused by mites. From time to time, Eastern Gray Squirrels have short battles with Pileated Woodpeckers over tree cavities. Usually the squirrels win.
All images © 2011-2020 Deena Stoddard ~ All Rights Reserved
Uploaded
September 1st, 2013
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