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Fox squirrel
Sciurus niger
The fox squirrel is a common sight in Iowa. It is a large, grey-black squirrel with an orange-ish tan underside that can weigh up to 2.5 pounds. Its long, bushy tail helps with balance and agility while on the move.
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These acrobats also have two other, less common color forms: mottled white and black.
Fox squirrels with these colors tend to be locally abundant in small geographic areas. The black fox squirrel is common in Council Bluffs and is our city’s mascot.
Although fox squirrels are diurnal (active during the day), they are especially active right before dawn and just after dusk. Squirrels prefer open woodlands but will utilize urban areas where they can find enough food and tree cover.
Fox squirrels primarily eat nuts and seeds; however, as opportunistic animals, they will eat other vegetation and the occasional insect or bird egg. The squirrels bury acorns and nuts seemingly randomly (called scatter hoarding) throughout their range and away from areas used by other squirrels. Currently, it is believed that they find their food primarily by smell.
Fox squirrels nest in the hollows of trees or make their own home. When the trees are bare, look up — you might find a large ball of leaves and twigs. That’s a squirrel nest, also known as a drey. Dreys are woven into high-up tree branches. They are built with particular materials in a particular order that helps keep them water resistant and warm. These thick-walled homes usually house only one squirrel or a mother with pups.
Squirrels are known to live up to 10 years, but most only live for three to five years. Female squirrels can have pups after their first birthday. Most females breed once a year, but food scarcity can cause them to skip a year. A litter of two to three hairless, helpless pups are born as early as late winter. After approximately three months, the pups are weaned and become more independent.
Learn more about squirrels from the Nebraska Wildlife Rehab and what to do if you find a squirrel pup on the ground. You can also learn about squirrels and other mammals of Iowa here.