How to Tell What Kind of Squirrel You Have

Squirrels come in a variety of species, sizes and colors, depending on your location; Often, knowing the types of squirrels indigenous to your area will help you identify which species you have. Other key indicators of squirrel species can be nest location, size, coloration, diet, general habitat, and daily activity.

Things You'll Need

  • Log book
  • Pencil
  • Rubber gloves
  • Binoculars
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Consider the habitat in which you find the squirrel. If it is thickly forested, with many mature trees and bushy undergrowth, you likely have a species of tree squirrel. If you find the squirrel in open agricultural areas, or in urban environments, you may have stumbled upon a species of ground squirrel.

    • 2

      Estimate the size of the squirrels you are observing. Tree squirrels are often smaller than their ground squirrel cousins, with gray squirrels often being the smallest of the North American squirrels at 18 to 21 inches long and weighing up to 28 ounces. Larger squirrels include the fox squirrel, measuring up to 22 inches in length and 28 ounces in weight, and while most ground squirrel species will be of a similar length, most North American species average roughly 30 ounces.

    • 3

      Record the activity of the squirrel, especially the season and time of day it seems most active. Most squirrels are considered diurnal animals, meaning they are active primarily during the day. Tree squirrels will be active throughout winter as well as summer: But many ground squirrel species undergo a long hibernation through winter. Some ground squirrel species, such as Belding's Squirrel and the Colombian Ground Squirrel, will even sleep as much as 7 to 8 months of the year.

    • 4

      Inspect the scat of the squirrel after putting on your gloves, and try to identify the composition of its diet. The diet of a squirrel varies sharply between species. Some, like gray squirrels, subsist on a great diversity of items, eating many kinds of nuts, acorns, barks, grains, foliage and even fungi. Others, like fox squirrels, will eat only a small variety of nuts-- mostly hickory, walnuts, hazelnuts and acorns-- and branch out to seeds and buds -- only when other, more preferred items are unavailable.

    • 5

      Make detailed notes of the squirrel's coloration. The coloration of a squirrel is often the best way to identify a particular species of squirrel. Many squirrels will display different seasonal pelts however, so take this into account during your observations.