![]() ![]() Home range may range from less than one hectare to several hectares home range may shift seasonally in response to food supply (see Carraway and Verts 1994). No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites). Juvenile dispersal is not considered a migration. At least some populations of this species do not make significant seasonal migrations. Record longevity for an individual in captivity, though, is 6.3 years (Richard Weigl 2005). There are anecdotal reports of animals living up to 11 years, which is plausible. Observations: Little is known about the longevity of these animals. Nests made of sticks, twigs and leaves are built in tree cavities or on the limbs of trees.īrood dens typically are in tree cavities, often in old woodpecker holes young may be moved to stock nest after being born in a tree-hole nest. Annual harvest in California was about 150,000-200,000 in the 1960s.Ĭomments: Fairly open oak and pine-oak forests primarily in the Upper Sonoran and Transition life zones also in riparian woods and in lowland groves of native walnuts in California. Sciurid mycophagy may play an important role in forest ecology (Maser and Maser 1988). May compete with other squirrels for food and nest sites.īobcats, coyotes, foxes, owls, and large hawks are important predators.Ĭomments: May damage nut crops (see Carraway and Verts 1994). Population density may vary with food supply and occurrence of epizootics density was about 2-4/ha in several areas in California, about double this in one area in Oregon (see Carraway and Verts 1994). Ranges to 2590 m in the San Bernardino Mountains, California. Global Range: Lake Chelan and Tacoma, Washington, southward through central and western Oregon, west-central Nevada, and the coast ranges and Sierra Nevada of California to the montane areas of southern California and extreme northern Baja California. Only one squirrel occupies a nest at a time, except for a mother with her young, but several squirrels may nap in the same cavity in the course of a day.Ĭlick here for The American Society of Mammalogists species account They are not territorial about their nests. The female builds a nest of sticks for raising her young, and the squirrels often sleep in nests in tree cavities. Western Gray Squirrels usually produce only one litter per year. This behavior is called scatter-hoarding. Like Eastern Gray Squirrels, they bury acorns in the fall, presumably finding them later by scent. They also forage on the ground, eating fungi, pine nuts, acorns, bark, and some vegetation. These squirrels prefer oak and conifer forests, traveling the arboreal pathways made by interconnecting tree canopies and feeding on pine cones. ![]() The Western Gray Squirrel has a silvery-gray back, a pure-white belly, and a beautiful long, bushy, blackish-gray tail edged with white. However, they are comparatively frequently hit by automobiles-perhaps because they lack experience of human behavior. Most active in the early morning and late afternoon.Īlthough Western Gray Squirrels are diurnal, they are secretive by nature and stay away from humans as much as possible. May remain in nest during severe weather. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concernĬomments: Active throughout the year. In Washington they are considered threatened at the state level, in Oregon they are considered a state sensitive species. griseus griseus was proposed for listing as an endangered species. In late 2002 the Washington subspecies, S. Western grey squirrels are a United States species of concern, but are not currently listed as threatened or endangered under the U.S. The western gray squirrel ( Sciurus griseus) is an arboreal rodent found along the western coast of the United States and Canada. ![]()
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