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Preferred habitat of
the gray squirrel is mature, deciduous forest including trees such as oak,
basswood, maple, and hickory.
The gray is active only
during daylight hours and eats primarily nuts but will also dine on buds,
leaves, flowers, bark, and an occasional insect. They will also hoard nuts
by hiding them around their territory for later consumption. It has been
said that oak trees owe their survival to the forgetfulness of gray
squirrels that bury the acorns and forget where they are.
Males are active during
two peak reproductive periods in January-February and in May-June. With a
gestation period of 40-45 days, this produces two litters of young per year,
one between February and April, and another between late June and August. An
average of 2-4 young are born in a nest that is usually located within a
natural cavity of a mature, dead, or dying tree.
Occasionally these
squirrels also build leaf nests within tree branches but are less likely to
do so than other squirrels.
Adult grays have a high
survival rate for rodents and may regularly live five or six years.
Predators of this species include the coyote, red fox, raccoon and several
hawks and owls.
Their bodies are 40 to
50 cm (16-20 in) long and they weigh up to .68 kg (1 ½ pounds). |
