Woodpile Sketches - Gray Squirrel

The gray squirrel is one of the most common animals in the midwestern United States.

Unlike the chimpmunk, the gray squirrel is a "scatter-hoarder". That means, instead of stashing it's food in a central burrow (like a chimpmunk), it hides the nuts and seeds it finds in a variety of hiding places all over it's territory. It's estimated that a single squirrel will have up to a thousand different hiding sites each year.

The gray squirrel might also be seen in entirely white (an albino) or entirely black (melanistic) colors.

Gray squirrels live in nests that they build at the tops of trees. These nests are easily visible from the ground (especially in winter). They are made of leaves and sticks and can be quite large. A squirrel will also make a nest in the attic or eaves of a house (if it can find a way in). Because of this destructive behavior, and because they raid feeders intended for birds, they are quite often seen as household pests.

The gray squirrel lives in most of North America and recently (within the last 100 years) has made its way to the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe. There, they are seen as unwanted invaders as they are displacing the native (and less pesky) red squirrels.