Territory: Both species are known to be territorial, vigorously defending their home ranges from conspecifics. They compete for prime territorial spaces with an abundance of food resources and suitable nesting sites.
Nesting Sites: Squirrels seek suitable cavities or build nests for shelter, breeding, and raising young. Competition arises when the availability of suitable nesting sites is limited, driving them to contest for existing tree cavities or nesting locations in human-made structures.
Mates: During breeding seasons, competition intensifies as both species actively search for mates. Males may engage in territorial disputes to attract receptive females and defend their reproductive rights.
Predation Avoidance: While squirrels exhibit caution to evade predators, certain microhabitats offer a higher degree of protection from predators. Consequently, they may compete over access to these safe zones, such as large trees, dense vegetation, or natural cavities.
Stored Food Reserves: Squirrels engage in hoarding and caching behaviors, storing food items in various locations for future consumption. If both species share the same habitat, competition may occur over cached food if resources become scarce or if one species discovers and raids the food stores of the other.
By engaging in resource competition over these various resources, red and gray squirrels exhibit behavioral and ecological adaptations to co-exist in the same environment while still fulfilling their ecological roles and ensuring the survival of their respective populations.