

They prefer to live in open areas such as parks and fields where they feed on flowers, seeds, nuts, berries, and insects. Scientific name: Otospermophilus beecheyiĬalifornia ground squirrels, also known as Beechey ground squirrels, are common in California, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington. California Ground Squirrel California ground squirrel American red squirrels will also take in the babies of other squirrels if they become orphaned.ĥ. While these squirrels aren’t particularly communal, they do live near each other and communicate when they sense predators. They will also eat fruit, eggs, and berries. They prefer coniferous forests due to their preference for the seeds and nuts of pine trees.

Red squirrels are found in parts of Canada, the northern part of the United States, throughout the Rocky and the Appalachian Mountains, and as far south as Georgia. Scientific name: Tamiascuriurus hudsonicus

American Red Squirrel North American Red Squirrel | Image by You may also like: 16 Interesting Facts About Baby Deer (Pictures)Ĥ. It’s thought that this is an effective method of preserving energy during a long hibernation.Īrctic ground squirrels are a very important part of the food chain, being the main source of food for several birds of prey, bears, and foxes. In the case of arctic ground squirrels, this is 98 degrees. Supercooling is where an animal will drop its temperature below freezing during hibernation, and then begin shivering for 15-20 minutes until it warms back up to its normal temperature.

Not only do they hibernate, but during hibernation, they perform a behavior called supercooling. They are very unique squirrels, hibernating 7-8 months of the year. Arctic Ground Squirrel arctic ground squirrelĪrctic Ground Squirrels range over most of Alaska. Native to parts of Canada and Mexico as well as the eastern half of the United States, including Texas, Missouri, and Florida, and New York.įox Squirrels live in forested areas where they feed on mostly fungi, fruit, seeds, and nuts, but will occasionally also eat bird eggs.ģ. They weigh 1-3 pounds and are typically red, gray, brown, or occasionally black. The Fox Squirrel, also known as the Eastern or Bryant’s Fox Squirrel, is the largest species of squirrel in North America. Here are some interesting facts about flying squirrels if you want to learn more about them. This species is only found in Southern British Columbia and parts of California. Humboldt’s flying squirrel is the third and final type of flying squirrel found in North America and the United States. Northern flying squirrels can be found in several northern states surrounding the Great Lakes, areas of the Pacific Northwest, New England, most of Canada, and into Alaska. The northern flying squirrel is not as widespread in the contiguous United States as the southern variety. The longest recorded glide of a Southern Flying Squirrel was 200ft, but they usually make much smaller leaps.
#SOUTHERN FLYING SQUIRREL SKIN#
While it isn’t technically flying, the squirrels will run to the top of trees, jump out, and spread their skin flaps to help them glide to their next destination. These flaps allow the rodents to “fly” around the forests they call home. Weighing in at only 2-3 oz., these small rodents have evolved flaps of skin from their front paws to their back paws. From Texas, Florida, Maine, Wisconsin, and everywhere in between. The Southern Flying Squirrel is a small nocturnal species that is native to most of the eastern half of the United States. Flying Squirrels Southing Flying Squirrel | image by MimiMiaPhotography via Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0 11 Types of squirrels found in the United States 1. We have chosen 11 species from the 3 main types of squirrels to highlight here today, including both the smallest and the largest North American natives. These highly adaptable rodents are great at making the most of their environments and will often feed on a wide variety of foods. Ground squirrels, flying squirrels, and tree squirrels being the most common. There are several types of squirrels in the United States.
