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Eastern fox squirrel - SCIURUS NIGER
Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Squirrel": "Squirrel" comes from the Middle English word
"squyrel," which came from the Greek "skiouros" for the animal.
Notice that the family name for these animals is "Sciuridae," which
may also be the derivation of our word "scurry." Called a "fox" squirrel probably because of its fox-like color.
Location: Southeastern United States.
Habitat: Terrestrial. Oak, beech, pine, and cypress forests with clearings.
Description: The coat is an orange-brown color, with the underside a paler orange-yellow. The tail is bushy and edged with reddish-tipped hair. Like the other squirrels, the eastern fox squirrel has a short pointed nose, long whiskers, and long ears. Its head and body is about ten to fifteen inches long, with the tail adding about an equal length. It weighs between 1.5 and 2 pounds.
Behavior: This squirrel feeds on nuts, seeds, berries, birds' eggs, and bark. It is active during the day and, although mainly arboreal, spends much time feeding on the ground. It builds its nest in trees in the hollows of the trunk or in the forks in the branches. A branch-type nest is round and made of leaves and twigs. It is an adept, nimble climber. It does not go into hibernation, but becomes less active in the winter months.
Reproduction: The young are born from February through April. The female usually gives birth to four young (as many as six) after a 44 day gestation period, and rears them for 2 to 3 months.
Go to the Rodents Page to learn more about all the gnawing animals.
Or go to the Squirrel Index to study other
squirrels.
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