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| Fact Sheet |
| Scientific Name |
Sciurus niger |
| Description |
The fox squirrel is North Dakota’s biggest tree squirrel. Some get so big they look like an orange cat in a tree. Fox squirrels are found in most of the state. This orange-gray mammal is found in open woodlands of cities, towns and countryside. |
| Total Length |
Body - 20 to 24 inches; tail - eight to 10 inches |
| Weight |
About 3 pounds |
| Color |
Fox squirrels vary in color from dark orange to orange-gray. The top of its ears are lighter in color than the rest. |
| Reproduction |
Fox squirrels mate twice a year, typically from December to February and June through July. They nest in hollow trees or in a tree-top den, which is a 12- to 19-inch ball-shaped nest made of leaves, twigs, and bark. Mother squirrels have two or three babies, which are born hairless and weigh 1/2 ounce. Young squirrels are independent within 12 weeks. |
| Food |
Nuts are the fox squirrel's primary food. But it also eats corn from fields or cribs, as well as maple seeds, mushrooms, seeds of evergreen (conifer) trees, acorns and even garbage. |
| Predators |
Cats, hawks, coyotes, foxes, weasels, bobcats |
| Habitat and Range |
Fox squirrels live in open woodlands, shelter belts, parks, and residential areas. |
