Animal Tracks - Gray Squirrel (Sciurus griseus)

Gray Squirrel
Sciurus griseus

Front Track Size		Hind Track Size
1.25 - 1 7/8 in. L x .75 - 1.75 in. W		1.25 - 2 1/16 in. L x 1 - 1.75 in. W

Gray Squirrel Tracks

Natural History of Gray Squirrels
Gray squirrel on the side of a Douglas fir tree. The hind feet can turn backward, allowing the animal to descend a tree head-first.
Gray squirrel, mouth full of acorn, looking down at me from his perch in a bay tree. He was gathering acorns, but took time out to scold me for entering his forest.	Gray squirrels are common in many regions. They have large bushy tails and gray fur. Since they love to eat acorns, they are found commonly in areas where oaks grow. They also eat nuts, berries, fungi, larvae, vegetation, and insects. The call is a hoarse bark. They make their bulky nests high up in trees from leaves, sticks, and bark. In winter, they find shelter in tree hollows. Gray squirrels do not hibernate. They are active year-round. Usually, four to six young are born per litter. Their tracks show four toes on the front foot and five on the hind foot. Clear tracks may sometimes be found along river edges, where the animals come down to drink. Gray squirrels are not as common in campgrounds as Douglas' squirrels and chipmunks. The best time if year to see them is in the fall, when they are busy gathering and storing acorns for winter. Gray squirrels will scold intruders into their territory. They sit high on branches and make a chirring sound that is easily recognizable.

The gray squirrel on the right was trying to keep cool on a hot day. It was over 100 degrees out and the squirrel found a shady place on the dirt road to stretch out and cool off. As I drove down the road, I thought the squirrel had been hit by a car. But it was actually just laying there to get cool. It moved off as I approached.


Perfect gray squirrel tracks found in mud. These are the front tracks.


Left front track of a gray squirrel


Right front track of a gray squirrel


Right front gray squirrel track

	Gray squirrel in an tree. It had been foraging on the ground and ran up the tree at my approach.

This squirrel was foraging for acorns on the ground.


The gray squirrel above paused to check out my trail camera. I had placed the camera above a spring that the animals used frequently in the summer. This squirrel and others stopped by daily.


This western gray squirrel was climbing a Douglas fir tree


Front track of a gray squirrel. The green material is algae. This track was found in a small puddle on a dirt road.


Nicely detailed front track of a gray squirrel. The green material is algae. This track was found in a drying puddle on a dirt road.


Another front track from a gray squirrel from the same puddle.


A beautiful gray squirrel track in soft dust. This track shows drag marks made by the squirrel's tail as it was dragged over the track. This is a front track.


Gray squirrel track set. All four feet are shown in this pattern. The outer two tracks are the hind paw prints. The inner two are the front paws. Direction of travel is toward the top of the photo.


This gray squirrel trail shows a nice tail drag mark. The long tail is sometimes dragged behind the squirrel, or just hits the ground occasionally. The tail is normally held off the ground. They will also roll on the ground to scent mark. They rub their bellies along the ground and leave scent. Many animals use scent to communicate with others of their species.

Gray squirrel scats found on a wood pile underneath a perch in a tree.



A pair of front tracks from a gray squirrel. Front tracks have four toes.


A very good five-toed hind track from a gray squirrel. This is the left hind paw.


A clear pair of left tracks in mud from a gray squirrel. The five-toed hind track is above. The four-toed front track is below.


The front track of a gray squirrel in mud, showing the four toes and claw marks.


Another nice gray squirrel front track in mud. The heel pad and metacarpal pads show here.


Feeding sign left by a gray squirrel. These are the outer hulls of California bay nuts. the squirrels open them and eat the nuts inside, then drop the hulls.


A gray squirrel chattering at me from the side of a Douglas fir tree. The hind feet can rotate 180 degrees, allowing the squirrel to descend a tree head first.


Gray squirrel front track in sand. Front track shows four toes.	Gray squirrel hind track in sand. Hind track shows five toes.

Gray squirrel trail pattern. Hind feet land ahead of front feet. Tracks will be in groups of four.

Hind track in dust.	Right front track in dust.

This track pattern is typical of rodents.


Western gray squirrel feeding sign on bigleaf maple seeds


Squirrel nest. This nest fell or was knocked out of a tree. The material is probably a combination of shredded redwood bark, and other tree barks that the squirrel gathered to make it.


squirrel nest showing hollow in middle where the squirrel stayed


squirrel nest


Squirrel track pattern in snow. Photo courtesy of Laurie Lee. These imprints contain tracks of all four feet.

Squirrel track pattern in snow. Photo courtesy of Laurie Lee. These imprints contain tracks of all four feet. Thanks for the use of the photos, Laurie!

	Gray squirrel hind track from a plaster cast. This mold shows details not normally found in casts made in the field. Note the toe pads.



Personal Notes on Gray Squirrels
I like watching squirrels run. They seem to hold the tail level as they run so the body bobs up and down and the tail just trails along at the same level over the ground. Gray squirrels like to hide acorns and nuts for later use. I've watched them dig holes to bury acorns only to have ground squirrels follow right behind them and dig up the prize!

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