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The fox squirrel is the largest tree squirrel in North Carolina, nearly twice the size of the more common gray squirrel. There are seven subspecies of fox squirrels, two of which occur in North Carolina. The fox squirrel is native to the eastern United States, except for New England. Life expectancy in the wild is generally six to seven years, but individuals have been known to live up to 20 years in captivity. On average, fox squirrels live for three to four years. Young are weaned at eight to nine weeks of age and may remain with the adult for another month. Fox squirrels are blind and hairless at birth, and open their eyes after four to five weeks. Litters of two to four (range is one to six) young are usually born in February or March after a 44-45 day gestation period.
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In years when food availability is high, older females may produce a second litter in summer. Updated 2017.įox squirrels consume pine seeds, acorns, hickory nuts, flowers and buds, fruits, fungi, insects, and occasionally bird eggs.įox squirrels generally mate in midwinter. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.
#FOX SQUIRREL PROFESSIONAL#
If you are having an issue with fox squirrels, it is best to consult a professional wildlife control company for removal.By Mike Carraway, Colleen Olfenbuttel, and Brandon Sherrill They also have a tendency to strip bark to feed on the juicy inner bark layer (cambium), causing injury to trees. Squirrels sometimes gnaw on telephone cables and may chew their way into wooden buildings or invade attics through gaps or broken vent screens.
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This storing of food, which they may or may not ever retrieve, raises havoc in the garden and tears up a well-groomed lawn. During the fall, squirrels dig holes in gardens or in turf where they bury nuts or other seeds. Fox Squirrel Behaviors, Threats, or Dangersįox squirrels sometimes cause damage around homes and gardens, where they feed on immature and mature nuts, fruit, and a variety of other plants. These pests will enter homes and attics, causing damage to wiring, gardens, and lawns. Because of this habitat preference, fox squirrels do well in urban and suburban settings. They are most common in oak-hickory forests but are also found in live oak, mangrove swamps, and pine forests. Fox squirrels need large trees with cavities or holes in them for building nests to raise their young. Fox Squirrel Habitatįox squirrels prefer open, savannah-like habitats, where trees are widely spaced and the understory is open. Fox squirrels carry diseases such as tularemia and ringworm that are transmissible to people. Like other tree squirrels, fox squirrels will enter homes, building nests in attics, walls, chimneys, rooflines, and inside garages. These squirrels are omnivores, eating everything from plant matter to insects and birds.
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Fox squirrels spend most of their time in trees during the day, foraging for food. Fox squirrels are found throughout the eastern and central United States and have also been introduced into cities in the western U.S.