Western gray squirrel
Scientific name: Sciurus griseus
- How weight is recorded: Whole weight
Field notes
Appearance
A large tree squirrel with grizzled gray upperparts, white underparts, and a conspicuous white-edged, bushy tail. Adults are noticeably larger and more robust than fox squirrels, with no sexual dimorphism in colouration.
Size and weight
Body length 25–30 cm; tail 20–25 cm. Adults weigh 450–750 g, with males and females similar in mass.
Habitat
Western gray squirrels inhabit open oak woodlands and mixed conifer-hardwood forests, typically in foothill and lower mountain zones between 300–2,100 m elevation. They favour areas with scattered large oaks interspersed with clearings and avoid dense continuous forest.
Distribution
Native to the Pacific slope of western North America from British Columbia south to Baja California, with fragmented populations. Strongly associated with open oak woodland ecosystems in California and Oregon.
Diet
Primary diet consists of acorns (especially from white oaks), supplemented with seeds, nuts, fungi, and spring buds; acorn availability drives seasonal movement and caching behaviour.
Behaviour
Diurnal and crepuscular, most active in early morning and late afternoon. Solitary or loosely colonial; arboreal but forage extensively on the ground; establish larder caches in autumn and retrieve them throughout winter and spring.
Hunting tips
Look for fresh scat (small, dark pellets) and stripped cone/nut debris beneath feeding trees; follow bark-stripping signs on branches and trunks. Approach open oak stands quietly during early morning or late afternoon when squirrels forage on the ground; position yourself with oaks between you and the animal, as they readily climb to canopy refuge. Scan high branches before moving, and use natural cover to close distance without sudden motion.
Whole weight
This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.
Where it is hunted
Listed as huntable in 1 country in Huntify.
Names in other languages
- noVestlig gråekorn
- svVästra grå ekorre
- daVestlig gråegern
- fiLänsirannikko-harmaaoravia
- deWestliches Grauhörnchen
- frÉcureuil gris de l'Ouest
- esArdilla gris occidental
Current language: en
These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.