Whether you’re walking through Des Moines city parks or exploring rural woodlots near the Mississippi River, you’re sharing Iowa’s landscape with seven distinct squirrel species.
These energetic mammals range from the familiar gray squirrel raiding your bird feeder to the rarely-seen nocturnal flying squirrel gliding through oak forests after dark.
Iowa’s mix of hardwood forests, agricultural lands, and urban green spaces creates ideal habitat for both tree-dwelling and ground-dwelling squirrels, each filling unique ecological roles from seed dispersal to soil aeration.
Understanding which squirrels in Iowa you’re observing enriches your outdoor experiences and helps you appreciate how these adaptable rodents thrive in the Hawkeye State’s changing seasons.
You’ll discover how to distinguish between similar-looking species, where each prefers to live, and the fascinating behaviors that make Iowa’s squirrels such successful survivors in both wild and developed areas.
1. Eastern Gray Squirrel
The Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) ranks as Iowa’s most familiar and widespread tree squirrel, particularly abundant in cities, suburbs, and any area with mature deciduous trees.
These medium-sized rodents measure 16 to 20 inches from nose to tail tip and weigh between 1¼ and 1¾ pounds, with their signature bushy tails providing both balance while leaping and insulation during Iowa’s cold winters.
Despite their name, Eastern gray squirrels display variable coloration across Iowa. Most individuals feature predominantly gray fur with subtle brown tones on their backs and white or pale gray undersides.
However, you’ll encounter completely black individuals—particularly common around Iowa City and Cedar Rapids—resulting from melanism, a genetic variation that produces dark pigmentation. These black-phase gray squirrels are the same species, just with different fur color.
Pro Tip: Gray squirrels are the most acrobatic tree squirrels you’ll see in Iowa. Watch them leap distances up to 10 feet between branches and perform death-defying circus acts at bird feeders. Their ability to rotate their hind feet 180 degrees allows them to descend trees head-first, a trick most rodents cannot perform.
You’ll find Eastern gray squirrels thriving in oak-hickory forests, city parks with large trees, residential neighborhoods, and rural woodlots throughout Iowa.
They prefer areas with dense canopy cover and abundant nut-producing trees. These squirrels are diurnal and most active during early morning and late afternoon hours, especially on dry days when they can efficiently forage.
Their diet centers on acorns, walnuts, hickory nuts, and beechnuts, though they readily adapt to available food sources. Gray squirrels also consume berries, mushrooms, bird eggs, insects, and are notorious for emptying backyard bird feeders of sunflower seeds and corn.
Their scatter-hoarding behavior—burying individual nuts in hundreds of locations—makes them unintentional forest gardeners, as forgotten caches often sprout into new trees.
Eastern gray squirrels breed twice annually in Iowa, with winter breeding occurring in January-February and summer breeding in May-July. Females produce 2-3 young per litter after a 44-45 day gestation period.
The young are weaned at 8-10 weeks and reach sexual maturity at 10-14 months. These squirrels communicate through sharp chirps, tail flicks, and bark-like alarm calls, creating the familiar chatter that signals their presence in Iowa’s trees.
2. Fox Squirrel
The Fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) holds the title as Iowa’s largest tree squirrel species and one of the state’s most abundant game animals. These robust rodents measure 18 to 27 inches in total length and can weigh up to 2.5 pounds—noticeably larger and heavier than their gray squirrel cousins.
Fox squirrels display striking coloration that makes identification straightforward. Most Iowa individuals feature rusty orange or reddish-brown undersides and faces, with grayish-brown to yellowish-brown fur on their backs.
Their thick, fluffy tails often show rusty-orange tones mixed with black. This distinctive reddish coloration explains their common name, though they’re unrelated to actual foxes.
You’ll encounter fox squirrels throughout Iowa, but they’re especially abundant in the southern and western regions of the state. Unlike the canopy-preferring gray squirrels, fox squirrels favor more open habitats including oak-hickory woodlands with scattered trees, woodland edges, farmland borders with tree rows, and neighborhoods with mature shade trees.
They spend considerably more time foraging on the ground than gray squirrels and move with a more deliberate, less frenetic energy.
| Characteristic | Fox Squirrel | Eastern Gray Squirrel |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 18-27 inches, up to 2.5 lbs | 16-20 inches, 1.25-1.75 lbs |
| Coloration | Rusty orange underside, gray-brown back | Gray with white belly |
| Preferred Habitat | Open woods, edges, ground foraging | Dense canopy, acrobatic in trees |
| Behavior | Less agile, spends more time on ground | Highly acrobatic, canopy-dwelling |
| Tree Preference | Scattered mature trees | Dense tree coverage |
Fox squirrels have powerful jaws capable of cracking even the toughest hickory nuts and black walnuts. Their diet consists primarily of acorns, hickory nuts, walnuts, corn, and other grains.
During late summer and fall, you’ll observe them busily caching food in preparation for winter, burying nuts individually throughout their home range. They also consume tree buds, fungi, fruits, and occasionally insects.
Key Insight: Fox squirrels played a crucial historical role in Iowa’s culture and cuisine. Before intensive farming transformed the landscape, they were among the state’s most popular game species. Squirrel hunting remains a cherished tradition in Iowa, with seasons running from early September through late January, though participation has declined from the peak decades of the mid-20th century.
These squirrels breed in similar patterns to gray squirrels, with most Iowa populations producing two litters annually. Winter breeding occurs in December-January, and summer breeding happens in May-June.
Fox squirrels build large leaf nests called dreys in tree forks or use natural tree cavities for shelter and raising young. They’re solitary outside of breeding season, though multiple individuals may have overlapping home ranges.
3. Red Squirrel
The Red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) brings feisty personality and vocal presence to Iowa’s coniferous and mixed forests.
These compact tree squirrels measure just 10 to 15 inches including their tails and weigh merely 5 to 8 ounces—significantly smaller than both gray and fox squirrels but noticeably larger than chipmunks.
Red squirrels are easily identified by their distinctive rusty-red or reddish-brown back coloration contrasting sharply with white or cream-colored bellies.
Many individuals display a dark lateral line separating the red back from the white underside, particularly prominent during summer months. Their tails are bushy but more modest than those of larger tree squirrels, and they often show black bands edged with white.
While less common than gray and fox squirrels in Iowa, red squirrels inhabit coniferous forests, mixed hardwood-conifer stands, and areas with evergreen trees throughout the state.
They’re particularly associated with pine plantations and northern Iowa forests where conifers are more prevalent. Red squirrels also adapt to urban areas with ornamental evergreens and mature deciduous trees.
What truly distinguishes red squirrels is their vocal, territorial behavior. These are Iowa’s noisiest squirrels, producing loud chattering, scolding calls, and distinctive “chirr” sounds when alarmed or defending territory.
If you enter a red squirrel’s home range, expect to be loudly announced to the entire forest through persistent rattling calls.
Common Mistake: People often confuse fox squirrels with red squirrels because of similar reddish coloring. The size difference is dramatic—fox squirrels are more than twice as large. Red squirrels also have the distinctive white belly and black lateral line that fox squirrels lack, plus their hyperactive, aggressive behavior is unmistakable.
Red squirrels primarily feed on conifer seeds, skillfully stripping scales from pine, spruce, and fir cones to extract the nutritious seeds beneath.
They also consume acorns, hazelnuts, berries, mushrooms, bird eggs, and even maple tree sap. These squirrels create large middens—cone scale piles that accumulate over years—near their territories, serving as both larder and territorial marker.
Their aggressive nature extends beyond vocalizations. Red squirrels vigorously defend feeding territories and will chase away larger squirrels, including grays and foxes, from prime food sources.
This boldness makes them effective competitors despite their small size. They breed once or twice annually in Iowa, producing 3-5 young per litter in tree cavity nests or leaf dreys constructed in dense branches.
4. Southern Flying Squirrel
The Southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) represents one of Iowa’s most fascinating yet least-observed mammals due to its strictly nocturnal lifestyle. These small, specialized squirrels measure just 8 to 10 inches total length and weigh a mere 2 to 3 ounces, making them Iowa’s smallest tree squirrel species.
Southern flying squirrels feature soft, silky fur that’s grayish-brown on the back and cream-white on the belly. Their most distinctive feature is the patagium—a furred membrane of skin stretching from wrist to ankle on each side of their body.
When the squirrel leaps from a tree and extends its legs, this membrane creates a rectangular gliding surface. Large, prominent black eyes adapted for nighttime vision give flying squirrels an endearing, wide-eyed appearance.
These remarkable rodents don’t truly fly but glide through Iowa’s forests, capable of covering distances up to 80 yards or more in a single glide.
They control direction and speed by adjusting their legs and using their flat tail as a rudder, typically landing on the trunk of a target tree with legs outstretched to absorb impact. Multiple glides in succession allow them to travel considerable distances through the forest canopy.
You’ll find southern flying squirrels in mature deciduous forests throughout Iowa, particularly oak-hickory stands with abundant tree cavities for nesting. They’re almost completely dependent on forests with mature mast-producing trees. Listed as a species of special concern in Iowa, flying squirrel populations face pressure from timber harvesting that removes both the large den trees they need and the fallen rotting logs that support fungi growth—an important food source.
Important Note: Despite being widespread across Iowa, southern flying squirrels are rarely seen because they’re active only at night. The best chance for observation comes at dusk when they emerge from den sites, or by noticing their presence through distinctive soft, bird-like chirps and trills heard after dark in wooded areas.
Southern flying squirrels are the most carnivorous of Iowa’s tree squirrels. Their diet includes nuts, seeds, berries, fungi, insects, bird eggs, and even small birds or carrion when available.
The rotting logs in their preferred habitat provide essential fungi, which form a larger dietary component than for other Iowa squirrels. During winter, multiple individuals—sometimes up to 20—may den together in a single tree cavity, sharing body heat to survive cold temperatures.
These squirrels breed in early spring, with females receptive for just one day. Gestation lasts about 40 days, and females typically produce 2-3 young per litter.
Mothers defend their young vigorously and will move offspring to new nest sites if they sense danger. Young flying squirrels begin taking solid food at about five weeks and develop gliding capability shortly thereafter.
5. Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel
The Thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) brings distinctive striped patterns to Iowa’s open grasslands, lawns, and prairies. These small ground squirrels measure 6 to 7 inches in body length plus another 3 to 4 inches of tail, weighing just 4 to 9 ounces.
True to their name, these ground squirrels display thirteen alternating light and dark stripes running lengthwise down their backs and sides.
The dark stripes are broken into rows of rectangular spots, while the light stripes remain solid, creating a uniquely patterned appearance unlike any other Iowa squirrel. Their overall coloration is brown to tan, and they have relatively short tails compared to tree squirrels.
Once uncommon in Iowa, thirteen-lined ground squirrels are now abundant across the entire state—a success story of adaptation to human landscape changes.
They thrive in the “short-grass prairie” habitats we’ve created through mowed lawns, pastures, golf courses, cemeteries, roadsides, and other maintained grasslands. These squirrels prefer open areas with short vegetation where they can easily spot predators.
You’ll observe these ground squirrels standing upright on their hind legs like prairie sentinels, surveying their surroundings for danger.
This characteristic posture makes them easy to spot in lawns and parks. Unlike tree squirrels, they dig burrows in the ground with entrance holes about the size of fifty-cent pieces, leaving minimal visible dirt mounds. Their tunnel systems include multiple entrances, chambers for food storage, and nesting areas.
Thirteen-lined ground squirrels hibernate for approximately five months each winter, entering dormancy in late September or October and emerging in March to early April. During their active season, they’re strictly diurnal and most active during morning and midday hours.
Their diet consists primarily of seeds, grains, grasses, and insects, with grasshoppers and other invertebrates forming a significant protein source during summer months.
These ground squirrels face predation from hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes, badgers, weasels, and domestic cats. Their stripes provide camouflage in dappled grassland light, and their alertness combined with proximity to burrow entrances offers protection.
They produce sharp, bird-like whistles as alarm calls when threats approach, alerting other ground squirrels in the colony.
Breeding occurs shortly after spring emergence, with females producing a single litter of 6 to 13 young after a 28-day gestation period. The young are weaned at about 6 weeks and disperse to establish their own territories.
In Iowa’s human-modified landscapes, these adaptable ground squirrels have become one of the state’s most successful small mammals.
6. Franklin’s Ground Squirrel
Franklin’s ground squirrel (Poliocitellus franklinii) represents Iowa’s largest ground squirrel species and one of the state’s more secretive grassland mammals.
These robust rodents measure 14 to 16 inches total length including a 5 to 6 inch tail, and weigh 12 to 24 ounces—substantially larger than the thirteen-lined ground squirrel.
Franklin’s ground squirrels display fairly uniform coloration without the distinctive stripes of their thirteen-lined cousins. Their fur is grayish-brown to olive-gray with a slightly grizzled appearance from light-tipped guard hairs.
The underside is lighter, usually pale gray or buff. Their moderately bushy tail distinguishes them from other ground squirrels, appearing more similar to tree squirrel tails though proportionally shorter.
These ground squirrels inhabit tallgrass prairie remnants, woodland edges, brushy areas, and weedy field borders throughout Iowa, though they’re less commonly observed than thirteen-lined ground squirrels.
They prefer areas with taller vegetation that provides cover from predators, including fencerows, roadside ditches with dense grass, and the margins between cropland and natural areas.
Pro Tip: Franklin’s ground squirrels are more secretive than thirteen-lined ground squirrels and spend less time in the open. If you spot a large, grayish ground squirrel without stripes near brush or tall grass in Iowa, you’re likely looking at a Franklin’s. Listen for their sharp whistle alarm calls—higher pitched than the calls of thirteen-lined ground squirrels.
Franklin’s ground squirrels are more omnivorous than other Iowa ground squirrels, consuming seeds, grains, roots, green vegetation, insects, bird eggs, young birds, and even small mammals.
This varied diet allows them to exploit diverse food resources across Iowa’s changing agricultural landscape. Their feeding behavior sometimes brings them into conflict with farmers when they consume crops or raid poultry operations.
These ground squirrels are accomplished burrowers, creating deep tunnel systems with multiple entrances often hidden beneath vegetation or debris.
They hibernate for an extended period—approximately seven to eight months from late summer through spring—entering dormancy earlier than thirteen-lined ground squirrels and emerging later in spring, typically in April.
Breeding occurs shortly after emergence from hibernation in late April or May. Females produce a single litter of 5 to 10 young after a gestation period of about 28 days. Young Franklin’s ground squirrels grow rapidly and emerge from burrows at approximately 4 weeks old, becoming independent by midsummer.
7. Eastern Chipmunk
The Eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) delights Iowa residents as the smallest and most charismatic member of the squirrel family you’ll encounter in the state. These diminutive rodents measure just 8 to 10 inches total length including a 3 to 4 inch tail, and weigh a mere 2 to 5 ounces.
Eastern chipmunks are instantly recognizable by their distinctive facial and body stripes. Five dark brown to black stripes alternate with light gray or white stripes running from nose to rump, with the central dark stripe continuing down the spine.
Their faces display characteristic markings with a dark stripe through each eye bordered by white stripes above and below. The overall body color is reddish-brown, and their moderately bushy tails are held upright when running—a useful identification clue.
You’ll find Eastern chipmunks in woodland areas, woodland edges, residential areas with mature trees and shrubs, and any location offering rock piles, wood piles, or retaining walls for burrow construction.
They’re absent only from the extreme northwestern corner of Iowa, occurring throughout the rest of the state wherever suitable habitat exists. These chipmunks prefer areas with ground cover and structural complexity that provides both food resources and protection from predators.
Unlike ground squirrels that hibernate deeply, Eastern chipmunks enter periodic torpor during winter but remain semi-active. They create extensive underground burrow systems with multiple chambers for nesting and food storage, entrance tunnels that can extend 20 to 30 feet, and emergency exits hidden beneath leaves or debris.
These burrows lack the obvious dirt mounds characteristic of ground squirrel dens. Eastern chipmunks possess internal cheek pouches capable of expanding dramatically to carry food.
You’ll observe them stuffing their cheeks with seeds, nuts, and other food items until their faces appear comically swollen, then scampering off to store provisions in their burrows. A single chipmunk may cache several pounds of food for winter consumption.
Their diet includes acorns, nuts, seeds, berries, fungi, insects, bird eggs, and green vegetation. Chipmunks are opportunistic feeders that readily visit bird feeders for sunflower seeds and corn. They’re diurnal and most active during morning and early evening hours, spending midday resting in their burrows during hot summer weather.
Key Insight: Eastern chipmunks produce two distinctive vocalizations. The “chip” call is a single, high-pitched note repeated at regular intervals, functioning as a general alarm. The “chipping trill” is a rapid series of chips indicating high anxiety, typically given when a predator is very close or when the chipmunk is directly threatened.
These chipmunks breed twice annually in Iowa, with spring breeding in March-April and summer breeding in June-July. Females produce litters of 3 to 5 young after a 31-day gestation period.
Young chipmunks emerge from burrows at about 6 weeks old and disperse to establish their own territories. Eastern chipmunks are generally solitary and territorial, with individuals defending their burrow systems from other chipmunks.
Iowa’s seven squirrel species demonstrate remarkable diversity in size, habitat preference, and behavior—from the aerial glides of flying squirrels through oak canopies to the underground world of burrowing ground squirrels and chipmunks.
Tree squirrels like grays and fox squirrels dominate urban and forested areas, serving as prolific seed dispersers that shape forest regeneration.
Ground-dwelling species thrive in the grasslands and lawns that characterize much of Iowa’s landscape, while the secretive flying squirrel reminds us that some of Iowa’s wildlife operates on nocturnal schedules we rarely witness.
Whether you’re observing backyard visitors or exploring state forests and prairies, understanding these differences transforms casual wildlife watching into deeper appreciation for the ecological complexity thriving across the Hawkeye State.
Next time you spot a squirrel in Iowa, you’ll know exactly which of these seven species you’re watching and the unique role it plays in Iowa’s ecosystems.
