where.htm

Where do they live?

photo courtesy of Tom Stevenson

	The Eastern Gray squirrel (S. carolinensis) and Fox squirrel (S. niger) are found throughout the Eastern United States, from Florida to Canada and west to the great plains grasslands.
	S. niger is also found in the Dakotas, Colorado and Texas but is not found in New England. (Halloran 1999)
	The Southern Flying squirrel (G. volans) also inhabits the Eastern U.S., range into Minnesota and Texas but is not found in New England.

Types of Squirrel Homes:

winter dreys-- round, visible, leaf and twig nests. waterproof, outer layer of twigs, inner layer moss, fur or soft material. about 1/3 way up canopy.

summer dreys-- exposed round leaf and twig nests. round base structure only; about 1/3 way up canopy.

dens-- holes in main trunks, lined with soft material. more common in deciduous trees than coniferous. den cavity formation may take 8-30 years.

abandoned woodpecker holes-- lined with shredded bark, or leaves and only twigs in summer.

Which type of home does each species use?

Sciurus niger --> winter dreys, summer dreys, and dens

Sciurus carolinensis --> winter dreys, summer dreys and dens

Glaucomys volans --> abandoned woodpecker holes

More About Squirrels!