Eastern Grey Squirrels: Noticed but Not Often Pondered

The Eastern Grey Squirrel, aka THE squirrel. A lot of people mistakenly believe that grey and black squirrels are different species but actually, both are Eastern Greys and can be born as siblings! They have big bushy tails that are quite cute but also functional, acting as a rudder to help steer them during jumps, a warm cover during cold months and a signal to other squirrels of their mood. An attached blanket! I almost wish I had one. 

Eastern Grey Squirrel. Photo by Leanne LeBlanc

Their native range coincided with large tracts of forest in eastern North America, however, they were introduced to city parks in Western Canada and throughout the United States. American and Canadian cities alike such as New York and Victoria are now home to large, thriving populations.

Squirrels are interesting subjects because they are so commonplace that we assume that we know everything there is to know about them. However, the opposite is true. They are so common that there is so much we do not know about them, they are sort of a societal blind spot, noticed yet not often pondered.

Very rarely do we even consider their abundance. One group in New York City dared to do just that, why? Because no one ever had. The Explorers Club in New York City did a squirrel census of Central Park in the fall of 2018. No small task, it took over 300 volunteers to cover 350 hectares of park space and fill out over 3,000 sheets of paper records. When all was said and done, data crunched, the magical number was: 2,373. That is almost 2,500 squirrels just in Central Park. Now I am stuck wondering how many squirrels are everywhere. 

It is an interesting story though, as squirrels are not native to cities or parks. In fact, in the mid 19^th century, there were no squirrels in cities at all, they could only be found deep in the woods. They were considered so elusive and rare that often affluent individuals kept them as pets. The squirrel was so rare that in 1856 when one escaped from a New York apartment building where it was being kept as a pet, the New York Times covered the story, as several hundred people gathered to catch a glimpse. 

Because of the marvel people felt towards squirrels they were purposely introduced to cities, they did not make their way to urban spaces on their own, humans put them there. They were brought, fed, sheltered and loved. It became a case of “if you build it they will come”, at first they couldn’t thrive in cities, and then came the idea of city parks, where their populations began to rise. Squirrels are so abundant because they were nurtured and loved by humans, protected from threats and brought into cities. 

Although they can cause problems, large ones, maintaining their #1 spot as the largest threat to the US power grid. There is actually a website, Cyber Squirrel 1 that documents every public record of squirrels disrupting power services from 1987 onwards, with over 1100 related outages. 

However, their forgetfulness helps trees grow – they are basically environmentalists! They are one of the most important animals for planting forests. They meticulously bury a variety of acorns and other nuts and they forget about quite a few of them. When this happens, trees grow! 

Even though you may not feel overly impressed seeing a squirrel running down a tree, something so commonplace, they are one of the only animals that can do so! Most animals fail to climb down head-first, but squirrels have back ankles that can rotate, turning their back paws around so they can grip the tree as they come down. 

For more information on Eastern Grey Squirrels, listen to this podcast by 99% Invisible here

So, to summarize, squirrels have built-in blankets, they create forests AND can accomplish amazing physical feats. Further, they thrive today in such a wide range of spaces because of humans marvel and care for them. They deserve our appreciation.  

We have a wide range of products from squirrel specific feeders to feeders that are squirrel proof. We love squirrels and their antics, however it is often nice to have some feeders that are "bird only" so that birds are not intimidated from coming onto feeders. By having a wide range of products that are "squirrel only" or "bird only" we can make sure everyone is happy! 

You can view an educational video on some of our squirrel busting products and baffles here. Further, we now have a wide range of Hot Pepper products that deter squirrels from consuming food that is meant for birds. 90% of Eastern Gray Squirrels will not consume these products. For more information on our Hot Pepper products and a full list of Hot Pepper Products visit our website here. 

We also have a number of products specifically designed for squirrel enjoyment including the Fundamentals Interactive Squirrel Feeder and even a Table and Chair. Full lists and descriptions can be found here.  

Next time you see a squirrel, look a little closer. After all, they are here because we wanted them to be. 

Warmly, 

Heather