Sciurus carolinensis
ID
- Long, bushy, dorso-ventrally flattened tail
- Grayish to yellowish brown with white underbelly
- Short, prominent, rounded ears with no tuft (Whitaker)
Distribution
Reproduction
- Main mating periods are in January and February and then again from late May to early July
- Using olfactory cues, males will follow a female who is approaching estrus and compete to mate with her
- Copulatory plugs are used by the males after copulation, but are usually removed and/or eaten by the female within 30 seconds (Whitaker)
Behavior
- Primarily arboreal, but collect and bury nuts on the ground
- Do not hibernate, but spend the winter digging up nuts that fell during the fall
- Solitary, antisocial, territorial. Only come together when there is an abundance of food in one area or in particularly cold winters
- Very agile in trees, using the tail as a balancing organ. Can jump gaps up to 2 m, fall up to 5 m onto branches
- Tail is also used like a scarf or blanket for added warmth (Whitaker)
Food Habits
- Nuts, acorns, maple samaras (stored). Also buds, fruits, apples, honey locust seeds, horse chestnuts, sycamore buds, and elm seeds.
- They will also eat the inner bark of maple or elm trees and insects or young birds (Whitaker)
Size/Life Cycle
- Average measurements: 380-525 mm (total length), 150-250 (tail), 54-76 (hind foot), 25-33 mm (ear), 300-710 g (total weight) (Whitaker)
Predators
- Humans (hunting, driving), red-tailed hawks, barred owls, great-horned owls, birds of prey, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, diamond-back rattlesnakes, black rat snakes. Nest: raccoons, snakes, red squirrels.
Habitat
- Oak/Hickory forests and most woodlands. Higher densities occur where there are many varieties of nut trees that can provide food as well as shelter into the colder seasons (Whitaker)