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Other websites about Fox Squirrels: Mammals of Texas - Eastern Fox Squirrel Texas Parks and Wildlife - Eastern Fox Squirrel |
Eastern Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger Native distribution - Eastern & central United States. Introduced to Bakersfield in 1985 by a board member of Stockdale Country Club. These adorable creatures have caused hundreds of thousands of dollars of damage to homes throughout Bakersfield. According to my sources, the person acquired up to two dozen squirrels from a golf course in Fresno and surreptitiously released them in the middle of the night. He had been warned not to do such a frivolous act but as many people of this region are apt to do, he ignored the advise of scientists and did it anyway. Another person introduced this species to the golf course in Kernville. These animals are capable of causing local extinctions of the smaller native Western Gray Squirrel as well as passing disease through the human and wildlife communities. Adults: length 45.4-69.8 cm, tail length 20-33 cm, weight .69-1.23 kg. Slightly larger than the native gray squirrel. Reddish tan hairs interspersed with gray on back, tannish beige fur on belly, rufous undertail fur. Fluffy tail held mostly curled on back. No sexual dimorphism. Ten subspecies. Breeding: 2 litters per year, of 2-4 young each. Females normally begin producing young at 1 year of age. Fox squirrels give a chittering bark similar to the gray squirrel when disturbed. More easy going though, and can be found on ground more often. Found in open forests, such as parklands and oak woodland. Diet: nuts, acorns, insects, fruits, seeds, blossoms. Lifespan: normally 6-7 years, record is 18 years Home range: 10-50 acres (4-20 hectares) |
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Kern Introduced Species: plant list with a short introduction to exotic species Kern Naturalized Animal Checklist Bullfrog Virginia Opossum Fox Squirrel ROCK PIGEON Spotted Dove Ringed Turtle Dove Eurasian Collared Dove Rose-ringed Parakeet European Starling House Sparrow Hodgepodge of introduced Species |
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California Ground Squirrel Coyote Deer Mouse Desert Cottontail Kit Fox Lodgepole Chipmunk San Joaquin Antelope Squirrel Kern County Mammals Kern Mammal Checklist Nature Ali - keeping you informed about the past, present, and future of the natural environment in Kern County. The focus of Nature Ali Publications is the natural history of Kern County and surrounding regions in California. Thanks for visiting. Photographs and text are copyrighted to Nature Ali and may not be reproduced. |
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