Biologists with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission are asking for the public’s assistance in helping them track fox squirrels in North Carolina. New county observations have recently been documented and biologists want to confirm fox squirrel occurrence in those counties. The new county observations are from Currituck, as well as Lincoln, Granville, and Madison counties.
The fox squirrel is the largest tree squirrel in North Carolina, nearly twice the size of the more common gray squirrel. It lives primarily in mature longleaf pine and open pine-oak forests in the Sandhills and southern Coastal Plain. However, we have verified observations from the Piedmont and Mountain regions, associated with open hardwood forests surrounded by pastureland or other open habitats.
Fox squirrels occur in a variety of color phases. In the Sandhills and Coastal Plain of North Carolina, they are grayish with various patches of black on the head and feet and white patches on the nose, paws and ear tips. Some animals are almost totally black with dark gray patches, and others are reddish or rust colored. Squirrels in the northwestern population typically have a tawny- brown or grizzled-gray color above, with a rusty or pale orange-brown color on the underside, ears, and legs. The top of the head is usually black, and they often have a white nose as well.
If you observe a fox squirrel, please take a photo, note the location (GPS coordinates preferred) and contact the Wildlife Commission’s NC Wildlife Helpline, via email at HWI@ncwildlife.org.
As mentioned, the NCWRC is especially interested in observations from the following counties: Lincoln, Granville, Currituck and Madison counties.