Identifying Tree Squirrels of North America

How to identify the 11 species of tree squirrels in North America.
Species included: Eastern Gray Squirrel, Eastern Fox Squirrel, Red-bellied Squirrel, Tassel-eared Squirrel, Mexican Fox Squirrel, Western Gray Squirrel, Arizona Gray Squirrel, Red Squirrel, Douglas's Squirrel, Northern Flying Squirrel, and Southern Flying Squirrel.
Information provided is originally from the Peterson Field Guide to Mammals of North America, which is a very useful book. Would recommend.

[@Kovy_f.art_]

Great video! I was surprised to see the Red-bellied Squirrel mentioned here. Someone did their research!

[@wildcache]

Thanks for the informative vid! As an adult I am just learning that there are in fact multiple species of tree squirrels in my locale, not just eastern grey. Thanks for helping me to differentiate, can't wait to go spot some fox squirrels and red Americans

[@t3ddyt3ddy]

Canadian, hey! 8 black squirrels from Rondeau Park, Ontario, were gifted to the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, in 1902. Subsequently, they were released in Washington, DC. Today, they make up a significant portion of the squirrel population of the nation's capital.

[@paulb1915]

The Douglas squirrels are very vocal and territorial too. I feed my squirrels here in Western WA. I have about seven Eastern Gray and two Douglas squirrels. And those Douglas are chatterboxes, and chase off the Easterns without fear. I finally got one of them to takes nuts from my hand. Love how they hop around. So cute.

[@girlfriday1299]

Really nice introduction to North American squirrel species. You answered some of my questions, and the photos and maps were very helpful.

[@SpeciesoftheWorld-sy4xc]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@flt528]

We have quite a few melanistic eastern grays here in upstate NY, but we're not far from Ontario.

[@garrettw4951]

👍🏼

[@BirdWhisperer46]

I have seen most of these guys in my travels. As far as I can tell, they all taste about the same too. 😀

[@kevinmoore4237]

What about the smaller wiry black squirrels that run rampant at Stanford University in Northern CA? They seem different (much smaller and thinner) from the melanistic (sp?) eastern greys that are now by far the most common in CA.

[@PizzaRocks]

0:43 Ummm... No, they are not found in Australia, at least not as of today. As far as I know, all of the introduced Eastern Gray Squirrels have died there.

[@dubon6372]

They are pests here in the south! $2000 new car wiring thanks to them! They are gone now though.

[@BillAnt]

Good video but the audio is low and uneven. Yikes!

[@samfisher88]

Max I live in the Northeast and I have a squirrel I can't identify. Can I send you a video?

[@SpeciesoftheWorld-sy4xc]

Yeah, sure. If you're in the Northeast, its most likely an Eastern Grey Squirrel or an Eastern Fox Squirrel.

[@samfisher88]

Maybe this one is sick. Its red but the size of a grey squirrel. All four paws are black and a grey and white tail but very thin to little hair on the tail

[@SpeciesoftheWorld-sy4xc]

@@samfisher88 It may be a sick Eastern Fox Squirrel. They tend to have more variability than Eastern Gray Squirrels, and some forms do have black paws though they're mostly in the Southeast, and same with the gray and white tail. Of course, it could still be an Eastern Gray Squirrel, and I think I'd want to see the video before saying definitively.

[@grace-om3gp]

Why are black squirrels absent?😄

[@SpeciesoftheWorld-sy4xc]

By black squirrels, I assume you mean the melanistic version of the Eastern Gray Squirrel which was covered in that section

[@mousekiss6477]

Australia?? Nope. No squirrels of any sort in Australia.

[@PizzaRocks]

Correct! Australia has koalas, not tree squirrels.