Fox squirrel

Scientific name: Sciurus niger

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Fox squirrels are the largest tree squirrels in North America, with rusty-orange to grey upperparts, white belly, and a large bushy tail. Males are typically larger and may display more orange coloration than females; some populations show melanistic (black) individuals.

Size and weight

Males 0.6–1.1 kg and 45–66 cm body length; females 0.5–0.9 kg and 41–61 cm body length.

Habitat

Fox squirrels inhabit open woodlands, mixed forests, and agricultural edges with scattered mature trees, particularly oak and hickory stands. They prefer areas with a mosaic of forest and grassland from sea level to approximately 2,000 m elevation.

Distribution

Fox squirrels are distributed across the eastern and central United States from the Atlantic to the Great Plains and from the Great Lakes to Texas, preferring deciduous and mixed forests with nut-bearing trees.

Diet

Fox squirrels primarily feed on acorns, hickory nuts, and pecans, supplemented by pine seeds, fungi, bird eggs, and bark; autumn through winter mast availability drives food preference shifts.

Behaviour

Diurnal and solitary or loosely colonial; most active at dawn and dusk. They are highly arboreal but forage extensively on the ground, nesting in leaf dreys or tree cavities and caching food in scattered locations.

Hunting tips

Look for freshly clipped twigs and nutshell debris at the base of mast trees, and droppings near feeding areas. Hunt near oak and hickory groves during peak feeding hours (early morning and late afternoon); move slowly through open understory and scan upper limbs. Approach into the wind and use tree cover, pausing frequently to listen for movement and to visually scan foliage.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 2 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.