Species guide
Eastern gray squirrel
Nuisance, not harmfulSciurus carolinensis
How to recognise it
A medium tree squirrel with a grizzled gray (sometimes brownish) coat, pale belly, and a long bushy tail it flicks while feeding. About 45 cm including the tail.
Is it dangerous?
Harmless to watch and very rarely carries rabies. It becomes a nuisance when it nests in attics or raids bird feeders, and it can bite if cornered or hand-fed.
Commonly confused with
- Fox squirrel — larger, with rustier orange tones
- Red squirrel — smaller, reddish, with ear tufts
What to do
Don't hand-feed them, and seal gaps around the roofline to keep them out of attics.
Recorded 636,259 times in the wild worldwide.
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