NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Eastern Grey Squirrel

The Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is a tree squirrel that is native to the eastern to midwestern United States and the eastern provinces of Canada. The carolinensis name refers to the Carolinas, where they were first recorded by zoologists, and are still extremely common. Download high resolution version (856x628, 113 KB)Eastern Gray Squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis. ... Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms. ... Phyla Porifera (sponges) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anenomes) Placozoa (trichoplax) Subregnum Bilateria (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Orthonectida (flatworms, echinoderms, etc. ... Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicatas Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with... Orders Subclass Multituberculata (extinct) Plagiaulacida Cimolodonta Subclass Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Subclass Triconodonta (extinct) Subclass Eutheria (includes extinct ancestors)/Placentalia (excludes extinct ancestors) Afrosoricida Artiodactyla Carnivora Cetacea Chiroptera Cimolesta (extinct) Creodonta (extinct) Condylarthra (extinct) Dermoptera Desmostylia (extinct) Embrithopoda (extinct) Hyracoidea Insectivora Lagomorpha Litopterna (extinct) Macroscelidea Mesonychia (extinct) Notoungulata (extinct) Perissodactyla Pholidota Plesiadapiformes... Families Many, see text The order Rodentia is the most numerous of all the branches on the mammal family tree. ... Genera Many: see text. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature refers to the formal method of naming species. ... Johann Friedrich Gmelin (August 8, 1748 - November 1, 1804) was a German naturalist and botanist. ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Genera Many, see the article Sciuridae. ... The Midwest is a common name for a region of the United States of America. ... The Carolinas is a collective term used in the United States to refer to the states of North and South Carolina together. ...

The Eastern Gray has also been introduced into a variety of locations on the west coast of North America, including San Francisco and the Peninsula area of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties south of the city. At the turn of the 20th century it was introduced into South Africa and England, spreading across the latter and leading to a reduction in the population of the native Red Squirrel in most parts of England and Wales. It is known in Britain simply as the Grey Squirrel. It has also been introduced to Italy, and the European Union is concerned that the grey squirrel will displace the Red Squirrel from parts of the European continent, as well. The Gray Squirrel is classed in the UK as a pest. Sweet clover (Melilotus sp. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the... City nickname: The City by the Bay Location Location of the City and County of San Francisco, California Government County San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom Physical characteristics Area Land Water 600. ... Location in the state of California Formed 1856 Seat Redwood City Area - Total - Water 1,919 kmÂ² (741 miÂ²) 756 kmÂ² (292 miÂ²) 39. ... Location of Santa Clara County within California. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 kmÂ² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... Binomial name Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 The Red Squirrel, Sciurus vulgaris, is a common European tree squirrel. ... National motto: Cymru am byth (Welsh: Wales for ever) Waless location within the UK Official languages English, Welsh Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff First Minister Rhodri Morgan Area - Total Ranked 3rd UK 20,779 kmÂ² Population - Total (2001) - Density Ranked 3rd UK 2,903,085 140/kmÂ² Ethnicity: 97. ... Look up Pest in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Pest may refer to: A pest, an animal (usually an insect), or sometimes a plant (weed) with characteristics that are injurious or harmful to humans. ...

Although the matter is controversial and complex, the main factor in the displacement of Red Squirrels by Grey Squirrels is thought to be competition for resources, leading to a decrease in fitness of the Red Squirrels on all measures (e.g. Wauters, Gurnell, Martinoli & Tosi, 2002). Eastern Grey squirrels tend to be larger and stronger than Red Squirrels and have been shown to have a greater ability to put on fat before the winter. These factors are thought to result in Grey Squirrels competing effectively for a larger share of the available food, resulting in lower survival and breeding rates in Red Squirrels. Parapox virus may also be a strongly contributing factor. Red squirrels are fatally affected by this disease, while Grey Squirrels are unaffected but thought to be carriers. Red Squirrels are also more affected by habitat destruction and fragmentation than the more adaptable Grey Squirrel, which has also contributed to a decrease in their numbers and a linked increase in the numbers of Eastern Grey Squirrels. In Italy, Grey Squirrels have been found to rob the caches of Red Squirrels. Fitness (often denoted in population genetics models) is a central concept in evolutionary theory. ... Fat is one of the three main classes of food and, at approximately 38 kJ (9 kilocalories) per gram, as compared to sugar with 17 kJ (4 kcal) per gram or ethanol with 29 kJ (7 kcal) per gram, the most concentrated form of metabolic energy available to humans. ... The Squirrel parapoxvirus is a virus that is fatal to red squirrels. ... Habitat destruction is a process of land use change in which one habitat-type is removed and replaced with some other habitat-type. ...

The Eastern Gray Squirrel is common throughout most of its natural range and wherever it has been introduced. It readily becomes tolerant of humans and learns to take food left or offered by picnickers.

As its name suggests, the Eastern Gray Squirrel's fur is predominantly grey, but it can have a reddish tinge. Its belly is white. They have a large bushy tail. Particularly in urban situations where predation risk is reduced, both albino and melanistic forms of the Eastern Gray Squirrel are quite often found. At the northern limits of its range in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, the melanistic form tends to be more common than the grey form. There are well established colonies of melanistic (black) individuals in Victoria Park, London, Ontario, Canada (with a daughter colony at Kent State University, Ohio), Albion, Michigan, Washington, DC, Toronto, Ontario, and Princeton, New Jersey. Additionally there are colonies of albino (white) individuals in the towns of Exeter, Ontario and Olney, Illinois. Albino young woman from Malawi. ... Melanism is an increased amount of black or nearly black pigmentation (as of skin, feathers, or hair) of an individual or kind of organism. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Area 1,076,395 kmÂ² (4th) â€¢ Land 917,741 kmÂ² â€¢ Water 158,654 kmÂ² (14. ... The first European explorer of what is now Quebec was Jacques Cartier, who planted a cross either in the GaspÃ© in 1534 or at Old Fort Bay on the Lower North Shore and sailed into the St. ... Cenotaph Victoria Park is an 18 acre (73,000 m²) park located in downtown London, Ontario, Canada. ... Kent State University (also known as Kent State or KSU) is an institution of higher learning located in Kent, Ohio, which is about 40 miles southeast of Cleveland, and 12 miles from Akron, Ohio. ... State nickname: The Buckeye State Other U.S. States Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus (largest metropolitan area is Cleveland) Governor Bob Taft (R) Senators Mike DeWine (R) George V. Voinovich (R) Official language(s) None Area 116,096 kmÂ² (34th) - Land 106,154 kmÂ² - Water 10,044 kmÂ² (8. ... Albion is a city located in Calhoun County in the south central region of Michigan. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... Motto: Diversity Our Strength Map of Ontario Counties, Toronto being red Area: 641 sq. ... Princeton, New Jersey is the name of a town in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. ... Exeter is a community in the Canadian town of South Huron, Ontario. ... Olney is a city located in Richland County, Illinois. ...

Melanistic (black) Eastern Gray Squirrel in Princeton, NJ.

A grey squirrel, somewhat hopeful of being fed, in Hyde Park, London.

Like many members of the family Sciuridae, the Eastern Gray Squirrel is a scatter-hoarder, that is, it hoards food in numerous small caches, for recovery later. Some of these caches (especially those made near the site of a sudden abundance of food) are retrieved within hours or days, for re-burial in a more secure site. Others are not retrieved until months later. It has been estimated that each squirrel makes several thousand caches each season. The squirrels have very accurate spatial memory for the locations of these caches, and use distant and nearby landmarks to retrieve them. Olfaction is used only once the squirrel is within close range (a few centimetres at most) of the cache site. Eastern Gray Squirrel, black variety. ... Eastern Gray Squirrel, black variety. ... Melanism is an increased amount of black or nearly black pigmentation (as of skin, feathers, or hair) of an individual or kind of organism. ... See also: Princeton Township, New Jersey Princeton highlighted in Mercer County. ... Download high resolution version (768x1024, 285 KB)A grey squirrel, somewhat hopeful of being fed, in Hyde Park London. ... Download high resolution version (768x1024, 285 KB)A grey squirrel, somewhat hopeful of being fed, in Hyde Park London. ... The Serpentine, viewed from the eastern end. ... Genera Many: see text. ... A scatter-hoarder is an animal that, in time of surplus, will store its food within a cache for times when food is less plentiful. ... In neuroscience, spatial memory is the part of memory responsible for recording information about ones environment and its spatial orientation. ... Olfaction, the sense of odor (smell), is the detection of chemicals dissolved in air (or, by animals that breathe water, in water). ...

These squirrels build a type of nest, known as a drey, in the forks of trees. These consist mainly of dry leaves and twigs. Sometimes they will also attempt to build a nest in the attic or exterior walls of houses, often to the great annoyance and frustration of the homeowner. They also invade bird feeders for millet and sunflower seeds, but safflower is often used instead, as they seem to have no taste for it. Some seed is sold with hot pepper coating, because only mammals such as squirrels can taste its capsaicin, while the birds cannot. They have also been known to dig up bulbs from gardens. Their reputation for these habits has led some to call them "tree rats" or "rats with fuzzy tails". Download high resolution version (800x686, 178 KB)Eastern Gray Squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis. ... Download high resolution version (800x686, 178 KB)Eastern Gray Squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis. ... A basket style nest A nest is place of refuge built to hold an animals eggs and/or provide a place to raise their offspring. ... A drey is a squirrels nest of twigs and leaves in a tree. ... Meanings for the term include: Attic (always capitalised) is an adjective for something or someone coming from Attica or Athens. ... A birdfeeder or bird feeder is a device placed out-of-doors, to supply seeds such as millet, sunflower seeds, safflowerseed, rapeseed, or canola seed to birds. ... Pearl millet in the field Ripe head of proso millet The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. ... Binomial name Helianthus annuus L. The sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant in the Family Asteraceae with a large flower head (inflorescence). ... A seed is the ripened ovule of gymnosperm or angiosperm plants. ... Binomial name Carthamus tinctorius L. Safflower is a highly branched, herbaceous, thistle-like annual, usually with many long sharp spines on the leaves. ... The chile pepper, chili pepper, or chilli pepper is the fruit of the plant Capsicum from the nightshade family, Solanaceae. ... A coating is a covering, usually liquid, that is put on to protect, or change the appearance of something. ... Orders Subclass Multituberculata (extinct) Plagiaulacida Cimolodonta Subclass Palaeoryctoides (extinct) Subclass Triconodonta (extinct) Subclass Eutheria (includes extinct ancestors)/Placentalia (excludes extinct ancestors) Afrosoricida Artiodactyla Carnivora Cetacea Chiroptera Cimolesta (extinct) Creodonta (extinct) Condylarthra (extinct) Dermoptera Desmostylia (extinct) Embrithopoda (extinct) Hyracoidea Insectivora Lagomorpha Litopterna (extinct) Macroscelidea Mesonychia (extinct) Notoungulata (extinct) Perissodactyla Pholidota Plesiadapiformes... The chemical compound capsaicin (8-methyl-N-vanillyl-6-nonenamide) is the active component of chilli peppers (Capsicum). ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Cassio. ... A habit is the usual condition or state of a person or thing, either natural or acquired, regarded as something had, possessed, and firmly retained. ...

Predators include hawks, mustelids, skunks, raccoons, snakes and owls. On occasion, this squirrel may lose part of its tail while escaping a predator. Subfamilies Elaninae Perninae Milvinae Accipitrinae Buteoninae Aegypiinae Circinae Circaetinae The Accipitridae is one of the two main families within the order Falconiformes (the diurnal birds of prey). ... Subfamilies Lutrinae Melinae Mellivorinae Taxidiinae Mustelinae Mustelidae is a family of carnivorous mammals. ... Genera Conepatus Mydaus Mephitis Spilogale Skunks are medium-sized mammals with black-and-white-fur belonging to the family Mephitidae and the order Carnivora. ... Type species Ursus lotor Linnaeus, 1758 Species Procyon cancrivorus Procyon insularis Procyon lotor This article is about the broader raccoon genus. ... Superfamilies and Families Henophidia Aniliidae Anomochilidae Boidae Bolyeriidae Cylindrophiidae Loxocemidae Pythonidae Tropidophiidae Uropeltidae Xenopeltidae Typhlopoidea Anomalepididae Leptotyphlopidae Typhlopidae Xenophidia Acrochordidae Atractaspididae Colubridae Elapidae Hydrophiidae Viperidae Snakes are cold blooded legless reptiles closely related to lizards, which share the order Squamata. ... Families Strigidae Tytonidae An owl is any of some 200+ species of solitary, mainly nocturnal birds of prey in the order Strigiformes. ...

External links

FCBS Directoy: Eastern Gray Squirrel
Squirrel links from London, Ontario
A brief history of the black squirrel at Kent State University
http://www.whitesquirrels.ca/exeter.htm
Hinterland Who's Who
An Exotic Evolution: Black Squirrels Imported in Early 1900s Gain Foothold (Washington Post)

References

Wauters, L. A., Gurnell, J., Martinoli, A., & Tosi, G. (2002). Interspecific competition between native eurasian red squirrels and alien grey squirrels: does resource partitioning occur? Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 52, 332-341.

External links GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

References

See also

External links