Animal identifier ยท Other mammals
Sciurus carolinensis
Eastern forests and city parks. Introduced in some western cities. Hind feet paired, about 1 to 1.5 inches, five toes.
What does a eastern gray squirrel look like?
Gray back, white belly, bushy tail.
What do eastern gray squirrel tracks look like?
Paired hind feet ahead of smaller front feet when hopping. The trail usually runs from tree to tree, not across an open field the way a rabbit’s does.
- Hind feet paired, about 1 to 1.5 inches, five toes
- Front feet smaller, four toes that show
- Hopping pairs, often ending at a tree
- Pellets are small, oblong, not round like rabbit
- Bounding trail between trees
What does eastern gray squirrel poop look like?
Small oblong pellets, often less noticed than the tracks and chewed nuts. Do not handle droppings. Several species carry parasites that stay in the soil around a latrine.
Where you find it
Eastern forests and city parks. Introduced in some western cities. Typical places: woods, yard. Year-round.
What to do next
- Do not feed
- Cap chimneys
- A squirrel in a house needs an exclusion, not poison
This page is a field guide, not a permit to approach wildlife. If an animal is injured, aggressive, or inside a house, call a local wildlife officer.
Animals it is confused with
- Eastern cottontail identification
- All animal identification pages
- Identify an animal from a photo, track, or description
What do squirrel tracks look like?
Paired hind prints ahead of two smaller front prints, usually leading to a tree.
How to tell a eastern gray squirrel from similar animals
Use the track, the dropping, and the place together. One print is not enough.
- Eastern cottontail. Two long hind feet side by side, two small front feet staggered. Brown-gray rabbit, white cotton tail, shorter ears than a jackrabbit.
Eastern gray squirrel field marks
- Hind feet paired, about 1 to 1.5 inches, five toes
- Front feet smaller, four toes that show
- Hopping pairs, often ending at a tree
- Pellets are small, oblong, not round like rabbit
Where the sign shows up
Eastern forests and city parks. Introduced in some western cities. Typical places: woods, yard. Year-round.
Paired hind feet ahead of smaller front feet when hopping. The trail usually runs from tree to tree, not across an open field the way a rabbit’s does. Small oblong pellets, often less noticed than the tracks and chewed nuts.
Common questions
What do squirrel tracks look like?
Paired hind prints ahead of two smaller front prints, usually leading to a tree.