There are many different types of squirrels. Chances are, if you live in America and have a backyard, you have squirrels.
They may dig tunnels close to your foundation, raid your bird feeder, or build nests in your attic, but they can provide hours of amusement with their exuberant activities.
The most common types of squirrels will be listed here on our blog. Let’s get started on our list of different types of squirrels.
1. Western Gray Squirrel
Gray squirrels are first on our list of different types of squirrels. Unlike the widespread eastern gray squirrel, they are restricted to the Pacific Northwest.
The western gray squirrel can be easily distinguished from the eastern gray squirrel by its steely gray coloring, somewhat bigger size, longer tail, and more pronounced ears.
Oak and pine trees are favorites of western gray squirrels. They might also be found in some oaks or pines in Douglas fir woods.
To survive, western gray squirrels require a mature forest ecosystem with a strong canopy and a wide variety of flora.
These different types of squirrels can weigh more than 2 pounds and normally range in length from 18 to 24 inches.
2. Fox Squirrel
The largest type of squirrel in North America is the fox squirrel, commonly called the eastern or Bryant’s fox squirrel.
They are normally red, gray, brown, or infrequently black and weigh 1-3 pounds.
Native to the eastern half of the United States, which includes Texas, Missouri, Florida, and New York, as well as sections of Canada and Mexico.
Fox squirrels are found in forests where they mostly eat mushrooms, fruit, seeds, and nuts. On rare occasions, they will also consume bird eggs.
These different types of squirrels have a remarkable capacity for adaptation and prefer to live in upland hardwood forests with nut-producing trees. They also enjoy eating agricultural products like pecans and corn.
Key characteristics include their enormous size and “foxy” coloring, which consists of gray blended with an overall orange or reddish tint.
These traits can identify eastern fox squirrels. They weigh up to 3 pounds and range in size from 19 to 29 inches from nose to tail.
3. Red Squirrel
The smallest different type of squirrel found in North America is the red squirrel.
They have a bushy tail and are reddish-brown or gray in hue. Red squirrels inhabit woodlands, yet they are also common in suburban areas.
A tree squirrel that lives in locations with coniferous trees is called an American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus).
Conifer cone seeds make up their primary food source. The American red squirrel is identified by its reddish fur, as suggested by its name.
You won’t believe that it weighs anywhere between 200 and 250 g and is somewhat smaller in size.
The squirrel is considered the least concern species since it is widely distributed in Canada, Alaska, British Columbia, and the Rocky Mountains. However, the number of squirrels is in danger.
4. David Squirrel
The Douglas squirrel, sometimes known as the chickaree or pine squirrel, is related to the American red squirrel, and in the northern Pacific Northwest, their ranges overlap.
The Douglas squirrel may be easily distinguished from other species despite having almost the same size because of its dark-brownish/gray top parts and red belly.
Its native territory extends from southwestern British Columbia through western Oregon, western Washington, and northern California.
5. Douglas Squirrel
The Douglas squirrel is an extremely busy woodland creature that may be found in coniferous woods.
It is one of the most often different types of squirrels in the northwest US and southwestern British Columbia.
Although you can occasionally locate them in areas of mature second-growth conifers, they prefer old-growth forests.
In this habitat, the Douglas squirrel virtually takes the role of the American red squirrel, making it quite simple to recognize.
These squirrels can be distinguished from other species of the same genus by having significantly darker coloring on their backs and lighter coloring on the bottom of their coats.
6. Black Squirrel
The most uncommon variety of European squirrels is black ones. They have a long tail and are either completely black or very dark brown in appearance.
The same forests and urban areas that gray squirrels inhabit are also home to black squirrels. They eat primarily fruits, nuts, and seeds.
Due to a genetic abnormality in white blood cells, the black squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) develops black fur, which gives it its name.
For camouflage, the squirrel favors deep, dimly lit woodland settings.
Most places with gray squirrel populations also have black squirrel populations, which coexist peacefully but are antagonistic to other squirrel species.
Due to a genetic mutation, these types of squirrel fur can retain more heat, making it more tolerant to cold climates.
7. Flying Squirrel
Flying squirrels are also on our list of different types of squirrels. In two ways, flying squirrels are unusual. In the first place, they “fly.”
Instead, they extend their front and back legs to tighten the slack skin fold that connects the extremities, allowing them to glide from branch to branch or from the top of a tree to the ground.
Also, they are nocturnal, in contrast to other squirrels. At 7 to 10 inches long, the southern flying squirrel is comparable in size to a chipmunk.
On top, it has thick, silky grayish brown fur, while on its belly, it has white fur. It makes a great rudder thanks to its extra-large eyes and long, flat tail.
Most of the eastern portion of the United States is home to the small, nocturnal Southern Flying Squirrel species.
From Maine to Wisconsin, Texas to Florida, and everywhere. This little squirrel only weighs a few ounces and has developed skin flaps extending from their front to their hind paws.
The rodents can “fly” through the forests they live in thanks to their flaps.
They will rush to the top of trees, jump out, and spread their skin flaps to aid them in gliding to their next location, but it isn’t strictly flying.
A Southern Flying Squirrel has been known to glide for 200 feet, but they often take far shorter leaps.
8. Least Chipmunk
The tiniest striped squirrel, similar in size to a chipmunk, can be found in most of North America, including some areas of Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
They are found here close to the borders of temperate and boreal forests.
The smallest species, least chipmunks, weigh only 1.5 to 2 oz. They eat grasses, mushrooms, insects, birds, lizards, seeds, nuts, and berries.
Because of their enormous cheek pouches, they can store and transport more food to their nests.
These different types of squirrels are solitary animals that only congregate during the breeding season.
Still, mothers are particularly devoted to their young and care for them for up to 6 weeks before sending them to go on their own to explore new areas.
9. Eastern Gray Squirrel
Eastern gray squirrels have bushy tails and a coat that looks gray from a distance and is made up of black, white, and brown fur.
They often have white or light gray undersides, and the flat, bushy gray tail has silver-tipped hairs.
Gray squirrels can exhibit deviations from their typical coloring as well. People can be blonde, white, or black.
These types of squirrels weigh up to 1.5 pounds and are 16 to 20 inches long.
The eastern gray squirrel is one of the most prevalent species in Ohio, the Midwest, and the rest of eastern North America.
It has also been adopted in some Western regions. They can be found in suburban and urban areas and mixed hardwood forests.
10. Abert’s Squirrel
The Abert’s squirrel, also called the tassel-eared squirrel, has lovely tufted ears, a bushy tail, and a slender gray body.
It is primarily found in the Rocky Mountain states of the United States, such as Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Arizona, while it is also present in the central Mexican mountains.
Because they enjoy eating ponderosa pine, they are most frequently seen in coniferous woods.
Interestingly, while being active all year, these Different types of squirrels don’t hoard their food for the winter.
11. Amazon Dwarf Squirrel
The Amazon dwarf squirrel, which is about the size of a chipmunk, is primarily found in northern South America.
Although you can typically locate it in the Amazon Basin, its native habitat includes parts of Columbia, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador.
It typically inhabits tropical rainforests because its unusually long limbs make it simple for it to climb big trees.
The Amazon dwarf squirrel can be difficult to identify due to its small size.
These Abert’s squirrels have up to 8 identified subspecies, making field identification challenging.
12. Calabrian Black Squirrel
The Calabrian black squirrel, a medium-sized mammal that is mostly found in Calabria and Basilicata in southern Italy, was once thought to be a subspecies of the red squirrel.
With the exception of a cream-colored blotch on the stomach, the Calabrian squirrel is mostly black.
These different types of squirrels can be found in southern Italian forests, especially in oak or pine trees.
Black pine seeds, which are its preferred food source, may soon cause the squirrel to be classed as near-threatened due to its limited range.
13. Deppe’s Squirrel
Small and generally widespread, the Deppe’s squirrel can be found in southern Mexico and Central America.
Although there is some color variation, most individuals have rusty-colored backs and pale stomachs.
Because their range overlaps with that of numerous other species, these different types of squirrels can be challenging to identify.
They occasionally linger near historical monuments, like Guatemala’s Tikal National Park.
However, they have a wide range of habitats and are almost everywhere in tropical forest settings.
14. Andean Squirrel
The Andean squirrel is a little reddish-brown tree squirrel that lives in the Andes, nearly entirely in Colombia.
It is typically found in the cloud forests and rainforests of the Colombian Andes, which are located between 6,600 and 10,800ft (2,000 to 3,300m) in height.
However, little is understood about this squirrel’s behaviors and life cycle because of its limited distribution.
Nevertheless, depending on who you ask, it could perhaps be separated into three subspecies.
15. Mexican Gray Squirrel
Mexican gray squirrels are a sizable species that are native to both southern Mexico and Guatemala. They spend much of their time in deciduous forests.
West Indian mahogany forests are the squirrel’s preferred environment, and this is where it frequently builds its nests.
These different types of squirrels were imported to the US state of Florida in the 1930s, despite being a native of Central America and southern Mexico.
It is regarded as an invasive species that has harmed nearby ecosystems. It is also known to nest in hurricane debris after a storm, which is interesting.
16. Eurasian Red Squirrel
One of the planet’s most extensively distributed squirrel species, the Eurasian red squirrel, can be found in the British Isles, continental Europe, and Central Asia.
As their name suggests, these different types of squirrels are mostly red in color, but during the winter, they develop a gray coat.
Some subspecies, like those seen in the Swiss Alps and southwest Poland, are all black with white bellies.
17. Bolivian Squirrel
The Bolivian squirrel, as its name suggests, is a tree squirrel that mostly inhabits Bolivia’s sub-Andean regions as well as some areas of Peru, Argentina, and Brazil.
It typically inhabits lowland regions below a height of 8,800 feet (2,700 meters) and is most active during the day.
These medium-sized Different types of squirrels have a deep shade of olive fur. But despite their widespread dispersion, only a little is known about them.
More research is required; however, it is thought that the Bolivian squirrel can even be divided into subspecies.
18. Guayaquil Squirrel
The Guayaquil squirrel, which is mostly found in Ecuador and Peru, is frequently seen in populated areas.
This squirrel has a huge, bushy tail and is primarily gray in color. It is an opportunistic eater and will consume almost anything to survive, it often consumes seeds.
Although these different types of squirrels are normally found in moist, dry forests, some of the area’s cities now routinely see them.
This is especially true in Lima, where a modest number of them were dispersed throughout public spaces.
19. Bang’s Mountain Squirrel
The Bang’s mountain squirrel, one of the most uncommon members of the Sciuridae family, is a little-known species that inhabits Panama and Costa Rica.
Though scientists have only just discovered a small number of them, it is thought that the squirrel lives in rainforests between 1,900 and 2,600 meters (or 6,200 and 8,500 feet) in elevation.
These squirrels typically reside further into the rainforest, like in Costa Rica’s Poás Volcano region or close to its summit.
They fit very nicely with their environment because of their modest size, brown back, and orange-red belly.
20. Persian Squirrel
The Persian squirrel, sometimes known as the Caucasian squirrel, is a gray-brown rodent that lives primarily in Iran and the Caucasus region of southern Asia.
It is often found below 6,600 feet (2,000 meters) in height and inhabits temperate mixed woods of pine, oak, and pistachio.
Persian squirrels are thought to be divided into three subspecies, the majority of which are geographically isolated.
However, they are all generally of moderate size, and they typically like to graze on seeds of oak and pine.
21. Mearn’s Squirrel
Only the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir highlands of Baja, California, Mexico, are home to the Mearn’s squirrel, an endangered species.
These little different types of squirrels have grayish-brown fur that is accented on each side by a distinct black stripe.
It’s interesting to note that the Mearns squirrel can only be found in forested regions that are primarily bordered by chaparral and desert.
Therefore, the species likely split off from other adjacent squirrels within the previous ten thousand years or more, resulting in its evolution into a distinct species.
22. Arizona Gray Squirrel
This is the last on our list of different types of squirrels. As its name suggests, the Arizona gray squirrel can be found in the US state of Arizona.
It is a diminutive gray squirrel that prefers to reside in desert forests at the bottom of river valleys.
The juniper berries, acorns, and pine cones that make up this squirrel’s preferred food can be found in deciduous forests, where it prefers to reside.
Despite being rather wary of people, you can usually recognize these different types of squirrels by their cream-colored bellies and broad, fluffy tails.
