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Red squirrel young are born blind, and the mother carries the babies to another nest. The breeding drey of a female red squirrel is larger than a normal female’s, with a thick grassy lining. In a good year, she will produce two litters. A female red squirrel will mate with several males at the same time. Males can mate anytime, but females will usually mate only once a year. This mating ritual is also used to stimulate ovulation in the female.ĭespite the name, gray squirrels are not as cute as their red-tailed cousins. Male and female squirrels fight, but the male usually sires the first litter. The gestation period for a female is 42 to 45 days. Mating takes place once a year between early December and early January. Females are not fertile until one year old, but fertile males will induce ovulation in a female who is in estrus. The female Eastern gray squirrel can enter estrus as early as five months old. Lack of tree dens and unsuitable conditions at their dens forced the squirrel to resort to a leaf nest. They prepare a den in a cavity in the tree and use leaves to make a nest if necessary. The female gives birth in a warm nest in a hollow tree. Their litters are typically three to six young, with summer litters being larger than late winter ones. These two species differ in their territorial boundaries and reproductive capabilities.įemale squirrels give birth to their first litter forty to forty-four days after mating. In general, gray and red squirrels cannot mate. The native fox squirrel is a different species, though it is still not black. These are common in the northern portion of their range, where the red-tailed subspecies is called melanistic. They build densĪmong Eastern gray squirrels, a few exhibit a red tail. In the wild, they need 1.5 grams of food per week. They also eat a great deal of black cherry. In the summer, grey squirrels eat fruits, fungi, and berries. In late winter, they also consume berries, flowers, and buds, as well as the inner bark of trees. Other sources of food include maple seeds, ashes, and basswood. Western grey squirrels feed primarily on nuts, including beechnuts, butternuts, and hickory. Jessica Holm, the author of a Whittet book on red squirrels, noted that during years of poor seed production, females of red squirrels will make exploratory trips outside their usual home range. Red tails are not migratory and their movements are closely linked with the seed crop and availability of sexually active females. Rather, they disperse seeds by moving from tree to tree. Unlike other tree squirrels, red tails of grey and eastern grays do not disperse seeds. The difference between the two species is most obvious during the winter, when mid-day rest is rare and the squirrel may spend several days in its nest during particularly cold weather.
Throughout their lives, Red Squirrels spend about 60 percent of their time foraging and feeding, resting in their nest in the middle of the day to avoid heat and high visibility.
While they share the same basic characteristics, the coat colours of the two species are easily distinguishable. Unlike grey squirrels, red squirrels do not have tail tufts. Their coat colours vary from rusty red to chestnut and occasionally black or almost grey. Red squirrels are much smaller and are less active than gray squirrels, though they both exhibit ear tufts. While both gray and red squirrels have nearly identical coat colours, they can be distinguished by their red upper body and white chest and tail. Red-tailed squirrels are easy to distinguish based on coat colour What is the average weight of a grey squirrel?.How can you tell the age of a grey squirrel?.What is the gestation period for a grey squirrel?.How many young does a grey squirrel have at a time?.What is the conservation status of grey squirrels?.What is the biggest threat to grey squirrels?.What is the difference between a grey squirrel and a red squirrel?.What is the scientific name for the grey squirrel?.Red-tailed squirrels are easy to distinguish based on coat colour.
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