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Project Noah Nature School
Sciurus carolinensis
Very slight rust color but appears to be an Eastern gray rather than a fox squirrel. This particular one has a little more rust than any of the other, who are predominantly gray & white.
The ones who frequent our yard (zip 62033) spend a lot of time in the Black Walnut tree but I suspect a few may live in my attic as well as in my back shed.
Their feeding habits let us know if rain or bad weather is coming, as they tend to come right up to the back door looking for raw peanuts and sunflower seeds. They always eat the smaller seeds immediately, eat a few peanuts/bury a few others but if a storm is imminent, they will continue to gather nuts in a frenzy of speed, not leaving any, burying most and stashing a few in their favorite tree. We also have three or four different ones who are missing parts of their tails. We were observing the one who lost the most tail to see how it's affecting his balance. He still swings through the tree but does appear to be slightly less agile than the rest of the dray.
Spotted on Feb 9, 2011
Submitted on Mar 5, 2011
