Gray Squirrel

Scientific Name: Sciurus carolinensis
Classification: Small game
Abundance: Abundant-statewide

Appearance

• Typically have grayish-brown fur and a whitish belly with a bushy tail. Other colors: yellowish-gray to silvery gray, depending on the time of year. Though less common, some squirrels may be reddish, black, or white, or some combination of these colors.
• The gray squirrel is one of five tree squirrel species in North Carolina and is larger than a red squirrel but smaller than an eastern fox squirrel.

Diet

• Nuts and acorns are the staple of a gray squirrel’s diet, but they will also feed on seeds, fruits, mushrooms, tree buds, blooms, insects, bird eggs, and young birds.

Habitat and Habits

• The most common squirrel in North Carolina and the gray squirrel is our state mammal.
• Common in rural, suburban, and urban woodlots.
• Use nests constructed of leaves, though they are not as secure or as well protected from the elements as tree cavities.
• Diurnal and active year-round.
• Very vocal animals that use a variety of calls, including harsh squalls, warning barks, chucks, mews, purrs, and tooth chattering, to communicate with other squirrels. Various postures and tail movements may also be associated with some vocalizations.

Learn more by reading the eastern gray squirrel species profile.

Regulations

The gray squirrel is classified as a small game species with a hunting season and bag limits. 

Gray Squirrel Regulations

Have a Wildlife Problem?

Learn how to coexist with squirrels.

What Attracts Squirrels to an Area?

Squirrels are very adaptable and thrive in urban areas where they have access to an abundance of unnatural food sources around people’s homes. Birdseed, pet food, and garbage will all attract squirrels into your yard.

What Kind Of Damage Can Squirrels Cause?

Squirrels’ adaptability can lead to unwanted interactions with people.

• Presence in homes: Attics can provide safe and warm nesting locations for squirrels. Squirrels can gain entry into homes through pre-existing holes (vents or gaps between shingles) or ones they have created themselves.
• Chewing behavior: As rodents, squirrels are constantly chewing to wear down their continuously growing incisors. This behavior can lead to damage of wooden structures, soffit, roofs, wiring around homes, and drainage pipes.
• Bird feeders and gardens: Squirrels may feed on vegetables, fruiting trees, dig up flower bulbs, and consume seed from bird feeders.

Preventing Conflicts With Squirrels

Remove access to food sources to help minimize squirrel activity in your yard. Use the following strategies to secure potential food sources:

• Remove bird feeders: If you choose to feed birds, recognize that this will likely contribute to increased squirrel activity in your yard. Use feeders that prevent squirrels from having access. Baffles and trays can be placed on feeders to keep squirrels from getting to the seed.
• Avoid feeding pets outside: If you must feed pets outside, do so during a period of time when you can be around to supervise the food and prevent any wildlife from having access. When the animal is done eating, bring bowls inside or wash them before putting them back out.
• Secure garbage: Use ratchet straps, bungee cords, or latches.

Close off any entry points into the home using ½” hardware cloth or chicken wire.

Trim tree limbs back at least 6’ from a residence to prevent squirrels from being able to jump onto the roof. This is one of the best preventative measures you can take to prevent squirrels from accessing and nesting inside buildings/attic spaces.

Encircle isolated trees with a two-foot-wide collar of smooth metal 6’ above the ground to prevent squirrels from depredating fruiting trees.

What To Do If A Squirrel Has Caused Property Damage

If a squirrel has caused damage to your property, consider the following techniques to address the situation: 

• Squirrels can be taken during the established hunting season with a valid state hunting license. A landowner would not need to purchase a license to hunt on their own property.
• Contact a licensed Wildlife Control Agent who can be hired to remove wildlife when animals are causing property damage.
• Obtain a depredation permit from a Wildlife Enforcement Officer or District Biologist, which allows individuals to trap and remove wildlife causing property damage. Squirrels can be relocated, but it must be onto private property with the permission of the landowner.

Squirrel Health Concerns

Licensed rehabilitators are the only individuals who may possess injured or orphaned squirrels. Always contact a rehabilitator to ensure they can take in the animal before attempting capture.

High winds will often knock squirrels’ nests out of trees, leaving young on the ground. In these situations, it is best to leave the young squirrels alone for 24 hours to see if the mother returns. The adults will often build a replacement nest and move them once it is ready.