![]() The mass of leaves at the top of older trees in your backyard that is revealed in the fall when trees are bare is a squirrel nest. They are usually one to two feet in diameter with an interior cavity of four to five inches. Leaf nests are made of twigs, leaves and sometimes grasses and scraps of paper and cloth. Gray squirrels will take shelter in leaf nests they have constructed or in tree dens. Timber management practices that create stands of middle-aged and mature trees provide the squirrel the most food and den sites. Gray squirrels prefer large expanses of wooded areas of hardwood trees. Gray squirrels are capable of reproducing within months after their own birth males reach breeding age at 9 to 11 months and females at six to eight months. Between 14 and 15 weeks, gray squirrels are mature enough to venture out and live independently however, it is not unusual for litters to stay together for close to nine months. Young squirrels are slow maturing- their eyes won't open for about 36 days, it will be nearly seven weeks before they begin to sample solid foods, like greens and bark, and approximately 10 weeks before they venture out of the nest onto the ground. When they are born, the young have no teeth or fur, and their eyes and ears are tightly shut. Young squirrels are reared in leaf nests, dens and occasionally birdhouses. The male will have no role in rearing the young. Gray squirrels running up and down and around trees is thought to be a part of the courtship ritual. Gray squirrels typically produce 1-2 litters per year. Gestation lasts 44 days and young are born February-March and July-August. They breed during December-January and May-June. Many gray squirrels have a white trim on the back of their ears and a straw-colored ring around their eyes. Its belly is more of a grayish-white or rusty color. These gray hairs may have orange tips that will give the animal a reddish cast. By 1885, hunting laws were enacted restricting the hunting seasons and bag limits for the gray squirrel.Äownload Ohio Wildlife Field Guides DescriptionĪs its name indicates, the gray squirrel is gray in color. But, as the human population grew and more land was cleared, elimination practices continued and gray squirrel numbers begin to dwindle. Early historical records speak of gray squirrel populations so dense that ".it took a month for an army of squirrels to pass." In fact, gray squirrels disrupted early agricultural efforts in the state to such an extent that Ohio law required each taxpayer to turn in a quota of squirrel skins along with his tax payment. Gray squirrels had extensive habitat in the state taking advantage of the widespread forest in Ohio. The gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) was one of the most populous species of wildlife in Ohio at the time of settlement. Fall 2022 DNAP eNews - Prairie Restoration.
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