Fox squirrel

The fox squirrel, Sciurus niger, also called the eastern fox squirrel, is a medium-sized tree squirrel of the eastern and central United States that reaches south into northern Mexico and north into Canada, and has also been introduced into urban areas of western North America. Adults weigh roughly 700 to 1,230 grams and measure about 450 to 700 millimetres including the well-furred tail. The upper fur is buff to orange, the belly is rufous, some southeastern populations are black, the sexes look alike, and ear tufts often develop in winter. It lives in deciduous and mixed forest with a good variety of tree species, and also uses suburban, urban and riparian settings. It eats a wide range of foods, from acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts and mulberry seeds to gall insects, moths, beetles, bird eggs and dead fish, and it caches seeds for the cold months. After a gestation of about 44 days females bear litters of one to seven young and can raise two litters in a year. People hunt it for food and fur, and also regard it as a nuisance at bird feeders and in gardens.