Gray Squirrel
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Family: Sciuridae

"Rocky"
Photo Courtesy: Jerry Donaldson

   The Gray Squirrel is perhaps the most familiar of all squirrels!

   Gray Squirrels are primarily forest dwellers, but have adapted to the encroachment of humans by becoming part of large city parks. You can often see them scurrying about, foraging for seeds, buds, and nuts.

For more information about the care of Gray Squirrel see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Squirrel

Background:
   Gray Squirrels are native to North America, found mostly in the Eastern United States. They were also introduced to other areas of the world, such as Ireland, South Africa, and Great Britain.
   Their homes are in tree cavities or in bulky water-proof twig and leaf nests built in tree branches. They also dig burrows in the ground, but these are for food storage.
   They are generally a quiet little creature, but if alarmed will emit a harsh guttural "bark", flipping its tail with each squawk.
   Gray Squirrels eat acorns and hickory nuts throughout the year, though they may eat buds, tender twigs, seeds, and insects when the weather permits. Unlike their very active smaller cousin the American Red Squirrel, which needs large amounts of seeds and nuts to see it through the winter, the Gray Squirrel can subsist on a rather small quantity of buds and nuts, and will often sleep soundly through periods of stormy weather.
   They are not quite as fearless as the American Red Squirrel in the presence of humans, but will soon overcome their caution and come out to visit if you sit quietly.

Description:
   Eastern Gray Squirrels are 17"-20" long, and 8 1/2" - 9 1/2" of this length is their bushy tail! There are marked color variations in this squirrel, so at one time they were described as four different species, but today they are all contained in one valid species.

Interesting Facts:
   - Gray squirrels are so plentiful that they often have to regulate their
      populations by shooting them for sport, or poisoning and trapping them.
   - They are not nocturnal, and are most active at dawn and at dusk gathering
      food. They will generally spend the late morning and noon hours in the nest,
      coming out in mid afternoon, and then retiring for the rest of the night an
      hour or so before sunset.

Comments from people who have kept this pet:

My boyfriend and I found a baby squirrel last September in our back yard. It was so scared and tiny, my heart went out to the poor thing, and to tell you the truth he still has it! I bottle fed him and raised him to about 15 months old. He lived in the house with us, he was messy and very curious. He never bit me and I held him everyday. I was supprised to see how smart he was, he looked out the window a lot because he wanted to go outside. I was scared he would freeze to death so I tried to keep him inside, but one day I got up late and he was no where to be found, he had gotten out! I cried my eyes out. I called my boyfriend at work and he tried to reassure me that he would come back, and for me to go outside and call him, but Sweet Weet was nowhere. That was the saddest day I can ever remember having. Tony, my boyfriend, said when I called him to tell him that our baby was gone I sounded more pitifull than any thing he ever heard. That night it was about 21 degrees outside, but I sat awake with all three doors to the house open in case he got too cold maybe he would come in. It started to rain I went outside in the rain, freezing, with a flashlight looking for my baby... i have tears in my eyes now just thinking about that precious little baby. A few days go by and I couldnt deal with it anymore. I called my daughter that lives about 46 miles from me, she had a friend that had also found a baby squirrel, I ask her to see if I could buy the little girl. For fifty dollars I was MOMMY again. I went to pick her up, it's crazy, but I was so excited when I got home. Tony was at the front door smiling, waiting to see her. She was about 11 weeks old and so tiny. Well one morning about 3 months later I woke up and she was gone, someone left the door open and she got out. I cried again, so so sad. I went outside everyday hoping to see her. We live on a dirt road in the country so to speak. I cant see my neighbors and there is mostly wooded areas around our home. After about 3 weeks of no sign of a squirrel I said a prayer. Well that evening I walked out behind the house and there were 4 squirrels, 2 of them ran, but 2 stayed. One was Sweet Weet, I could tell by a distinct marking on his fur, and my little girl Sweetie Pie. She tried to climb over a metal pole to get to me but couldn't. Finally she went around it and she hopped to me like a bunny rabbit. I didn't reach out to touch her because I was worried I would frighten her away. She went to a tree and climed up it about 2 feet and let me talk to her a little while, then she went back to the woods. Its been 2 or 3 weeks and I havent seen them again. I want a squirrel so bad I can hardly stand it. I LOVE THEM LITTLE BABIES

I came home one afternoon and my husband said when I walked through the door, "Honey, we have a problem!" I was thinking oh great, what is it now? I was 5 months pregnant, have a 14 year old dog and 2 cats what was this problem? I walked to the bathroom and inside a cardboard box was a baby squirrel. I asked how this happened he said that the crying that we had been hearing for 3-4 days was the baby. The neighbors cat had been trying to get at something and he noticed it was a baby squirrel. The poor thing had been starving and thirsty for love and warmth. We named her peanut and let me tell you she loves oranges and lifts her arm for tummy rubs. I feel as though I now live in a zoo! Men always bring home animals don't they!

Our baby squirrel died having seizures last nite. He was much loved and such a good boy. We know we gave him more time than he would have had to live, but that time was so precious. i'm so grateful that my sons have such gifts with animals in need. Chippy will be much missed but we are better for having loved him during this short time. Vicki

We found Samantha and her sister and brother in a fallen tree at about 3 weeks old. No mother in sight. They were squacking and calling for her. Their eyes weren't open yet so we rescued them. My husband and I had to drive an hour away to Walmart for formula (puppy formula according to sources on the internet) and Pedialyte to rehydrate them. We kept them warm in a fish tank with a heating pad and fed them with a syringe every 3 hours. The other boy and girl didn't make it but Sammy is now about 7 weeks old and full of mischief. We feed her every 4 hours now and she loves to teethe on brocolli and carrots, cheerios and dog food (again, according to what we found on the internet). Her weight is up to over 5 ounces now from 2 when we found her. She is so cute! She loves to cuddle and have her tummy rubbed. She also loves to play with her whiffle ball and little chew ball with the bell in it. Our plan is to release her at about 14 weeks. But, part of me doesn't want her to go! No one else either, my girls love her and even grandma is getting attached. I don't think its legal here in Florida. We keep telling everyone we are just rehabbing so no one will turn us in.

I don't understand Wildlife officers, they will let hunters and people in city neighborhoods kill these squirrels, but to keep one as a pet, safe and loved, is against the law. I follow one law and that is the law of nature. If I see a sick and injured animal I take care of it. If it is injured to the point it can not be released then why kill it instead of offering it a home. I saved three northern flying squirrels and called a well known animal refuge and they refused to take them, they said they did not specialize in them. Excuse me, they have bear, otters, and others but the flying squirrels weren't good enough for them. Wild life rehabers say let them go, to what be a meal to a cat or dog, or better yet starve and freeze because they did not know how to make a shelter or gather food right. I think that If a human is willing to take it in and care for it well and it lives a life longer than 4 years in the wild due to being a meal for a predator or dying of metabolic bone disease because its diet is poor in calcium (very painful slow paralizing death), more power to the human. The creator put humans here to watch over our animal friends and see to it they survive. I see so many deer and elk killed by careless tourists who are too busy looking ga ga at the scenery than watching out for them. I am on the side of the animal 100%. wiccan animal lover.

A while back my fiance was in the back yard where we share a parking space with a neighbor and noticed the neighbor backing out of the drive, under her car was a small eastern grey approx. 6-8 weeks old. There was no "parent" grey in the area and after the fiance stopped the neighbor the lil thing actually hopped over to him and climbed his leg to his shoulder. He was very thin and "starving" We've had him now for 6 months and named him Patrick since he was probably born around St. Patricks Day. He is very affectionate and loves car rides. He hangs out in my hoodie while I'm running errands, and everyone loves him. He is very curious about everything and likes to test new things with a few nibbles. They can be a real handful at times but if you have a loving heart, time and patience they can be the best little pets IMO. I wouldn't give him up for the world. But if while we're playing outside he wants to run into the forest I would never stop him. We are planning on releasing him once he's older, but a big part of me hopes he'll want to stay with us forever. Time will tell but it will be up to Patrick when the day comes.

In Sept. 2007 I was having quiet time on the porch when I heard a plop and a screech. My cat investigated and was as bewildered as I was over the screeching naked "thing" that dropped out of a tree. The night before I told my girlfriend that there is nothing so satisfying as connecting with nature. I was thinking of a baby fawn. After my husband identified this naked "thing" as a squirrel, I rushed to the drug store and purchased an eye-dropper and fed the baby soy milk mixed with rice crispies. After six weeks, we left the cage open by the tree it fell out of and it returned to it's home nest. Husband said it was male. I disagreed but didn't argue. Every morning and around dusk he comes to the porch for his nuts or popcorn. We keep a water bottle secured to his oak tree. Since we live in a very rural area, we hope to have him around for a good while. Today, to my husband's embarrassment, he discovered our "Rocky-boy" is Mrs. Rockette and is feeding her young. We are hoping she will introduce us to her babies soon. This has been so much fun having Rockette come when we call, scampering up and down our trouser legs to perch on our shoulders. The cat knows she is part of the family and we don't have too many confrontations. Our visitors and grandchildren just love to brag about this crazy old couple that can call the squirrels down from the tree! Susan and David Greensboro, Georgia

We rescued a baby squirrel from the cat up the street about 3 months ago. I bottle fed her until she could eat on her own. I have contacted a small mammal rehabilitator about releasing her into the wild. The rehabilitator informed me that if she has been with us for several months then she has conformed to us and not wild life. She also told me that they live in groups and if she has not been raised by other squirrels then she will not properly communicate with them and they will kill her. This was a shock, and I decided to keep her safe in our home. She has become quite a comedian and enjoys everyone. I do feel bad that she can't go out and climb trees but it's better safe inside than dead. We have lined her nest with branches and she loves to climb and chew on them and we put her cage out on the porch on good days. Just a 'for your information' for anyone looking to release a squirrel into the wild, try and find a rehabilitator

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Author: Jasmine Brough