Grey Squirrel
Sciuris carolinensis
Appearance
- 35 – 53cm in length. 550 – 750g in weight.
- Grey-brown fur colour.
Lifecycle
- Breeds insummer and again in winter
- 1 – 2 litters per annum with 1 – 5 young per litter.
- Commonly found in mixed broadleaf/conifer woodland. In the autumn – Hedgerows, gardens, fields away from woods.
- Lives 4 – 6 years (female), 2 – 3 years (male).
Habits
- Found in hedgerows, banking, woods, gardens, farms etc.
- Damages tree bark, particularly sycamore/beech
- Although not indigenous to South Africa is found in abundance in the Western Cape; having been introduced there some 100 years ago by Cecil Rhodes
- The Grey Squirrel is indigenous to North America where it is reaching pest proportions. It has no legal protection in SA and is classified as a pest.