EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL 



Northern Gray Squirrel. — Sciiirus carolinensis leucotis 

 (Gapper). 

 Larger and grayer than typical carolinensis; apt to occur in 

 black or melanistic phase; soles of feet may be hairy in 

 winter. Upperparts, in winter, silvery gray with faint 

 grizzling of yellowish brown and black; a faint wash of 

 yellowish brown on head, back, and upper surfaces of hands 

 and feet; underparts white. Summer pelage with more 

 rusty brown, especially along sides. Melanistic phase, 

 everywhere black; various degrees of intergradation between 

 gray and black phases may occur. Total length, 20 inches; 

 tail vertebrte, 9.2 inches; hind foot, 2.8 inches. Found in 

 "Transition Zone and locally lower edge of Canadian Zone 

 from the Alleghenies of Pennsylvania north through New 

 York and New England, to southern New Brunswick and 

 southern Ontario; west to Minnesota." (Miller) 

 Merriam _ Gray SquirreL — Sciurus carolinensis hypophatis 

 Merriam. 

 Resembling leucotis in size but darker above and less white 

 below; soles of feet heavily furred in winter, naked in sum- 

 mer; ears tufted in winter. Upperparts, in winter, dark 

 gray in tone, mixed white, yellowish brown and black; tail 

 with much black, white tips to hairs narrow; ear tufts 

 yellov/ish white; color of sides extends well onto underparts 

 and only narrow streak down center is white. Total length, 

 20 inches; tail vertebrce, S.S inches; hind foot, 2.7 inches! 

 Found in ' ' The edge of the forest belt in Minnesota. Limits 

 of range not known." (Miller) 



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 The Eastern Gray Squirrels are too well known to require 

 special attention as to distinguishing characteristics. They 

 are the common large Squirrel in most of the parks of the 

 eastern cities and they have long been one of the popular 

 game animals of the East. When not disturbed these animals 

 become very tame, but where hunted they are wild and wary 

 and hide at the first approach of danger. 



Gray Squirrels are active only during the day. They store 

 up food for the times when food will be difficult to find, and 

 they do not hibernate although they may stay in the nest 

 during periods of inclement winter weather. They are 

 strictly tree- dwelling Squirrels and are not found away from 

 forests. At times they become very abundant and when 

 the food supply becomes scarce in a given region they move 

 out in a great migration wave. In the early history of the 

 East these migrations took on vast proportions and unbeliev- 

 able numbers of Gray Squirrels hurried across the country, 



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