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A
Guide to the: Grey Squirrel - Sciurus carolinensis
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Grey Squirrels
have a marked difference between their summer and winter pelages: in
winter they have white tufts at the ear tips, a bushier tail and a dense,
silvery coat, and look like the typical 'story-time' squirrel: in summer
the ear tufts disappear, the coat and tail thin out, and they begin
to look almost rat-like. Although the grey squirrel lives chiefly on
acorns, pine kernels and other seeds, it will take to more perishable
items such as vegetables and deciduous fruits, garden plants and grain
crops. The species is actually a native of north America: it was first
introduced to the south of England in 1876, where it is ousting the
attractive native British red squirrel; it was introduced to the western
Cape at about the same time, and within 20 years grey squirrels had
overrun the Peninsula. It is most active in the early morning and late
afternoon, resting in the heat of the day. A squirrel's shelter is called
a 'drey' - it is sometimes a tree-hole, although more usually a nest
of twigs and leaves built high above the ground in the branches of an
oak, pine, bluegum, or other tree. They are usually solitary, except
when a female is accompanied by her weaning young.
More facts about Grey Squirrels
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