You’re sitting in your backyard enjoying your morning coffee when a blur of gray catches your eye. A squirrel darts across the fence, bushy tail trailing behind. But here’s something you might not know: that little acrobat could be one of three different species calling Orlando home.
Whether you’re spotting them raiding your bird feeder or performing aerial stunts between oak branches, understanding which squirrels in Orlando share your neighborhood helps you appreciate the unique wildlife thriving in Central Florida.
From the chatty gray squirrels dominating urban parks to the rarely-seen nocturnal flyers gliding through the darkness, each species brings its own personality to your local ecosystem.
Eastern Gray Squirrel
The Eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) is the familiar face you’ll encounter most often in Orlando’s urban and suburban landscapes. These adaptable rodents have mastered the art of city living, thriving everywhere from downtown parks to residential neighborhoods.
What They Look Like
You’ll recognize eastern gray squirrels by their predominantly gray fur with white undersides, though some individuals display brownish or reddish tinges along their backs and sides.
Their bushy tails serve multiple purposes—acting as a counterbalance during their impressive acrobatic displays, providing shade in summer heat, and offering warmth when wrapped around their bodies during cooler months.
Adults typically measure 9-12 inches in body length with tails adding another 7-10 inches, weighing between 14-21 ounces.
Pro Tip: If you spot a completely black squirrel in Orlando, you’re still looking at an eastern gray squirrel. The black coloration is simply a melanistic color variation of the same species, similar to how domestic cats can be different colors.
Where You’ll Find Them
Eastern gray squirrels dominate Orlando’s tree-filled neighborhoods, city parks, and college campuses. They prefer areas with mature hardwood trees—especially oaks, which provide their favorite food source: acorns.
You’ll often see them constructing leaf nests (called dreys) high in tree branches or taking shelter in tree cavities. These squirrels have adapted remarkably well to human presence, frequently visiting bird feeders and foraging near outdoor dining areas.
Their population density in urban Orlando can reach impressive numbers, with some neighborhoods supporting 2-6 squirrels per acre. According to the University of Florida’s Wildlife Extension, eastern gray squirrels are among the most successful urban wildlife species in Florida, demonstrating exceptional problem-solving abilities that help them access food sources and navigate human-modified environments.
Behavior and Diet
These tree squirrels are diurnal, meaning they’re most active during daylight hours, particularly in early morning and late afternoon. You’ll notice them frantically burying nuts in fall—a behavior called scatter hoarding that actually helps forest regeneration when they forget some of their cached acorns.
Their diet includes:
- Acorns and other tree nuts
- Seeds, buds, and flowers
- Fungi and mushrooms
- Occasionally bird eggs or insects
- Fruits and berries in season
Eastern gray squirrels communicate through a combination of tail flicks, body postures, and vocalizations. That chattering or “barking” you hear? It’s often an alarm call warning other squirrels about potential threats—possibly you.
Southern Flying Squirrel
The southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans) is Orlando’s secret nocturnal resident, rarely seen but more common than most people realize. These pint-sized gliders emerge after dark, making them the mysterious members of Central Florida’s squirrel community.
Physical Characteristics
Southern flying squirrels are considerably smaller than their gray cousins, measuring just 8-10 inches total length (including their flattened tail) and weighing only 1.5-3 ounces.
Their soft, silky fur is grayish-brown on top with creamy white undersides. The most distinctive feature is the furry membrane called a patagium that stretches between their front and back legs on each side.
Their large, dark eyes are perfectly adapted for nocturnal vision, giving them an almost cartoon-like appearance. Unlike other squirrels, flying squirrels don’t actually fly—they glide using their patagium as a living parachute, steering with their tail and legs to navigate between trees.
Key Insight: A southern flying squirrel can glide up to 150 feet in a single journey, losing only about 1 foot of elevation for every 3 feet traveled horizontally. They’ve been observed making 90-degree turns mid-glide to avoid obstacles.
Habitat Preferences
These squirrels favor Orlando’s wooded areas, particularly mature forests with plenty of dead or dying trees that provide nesting cavities.
They’re also found in parks with older tree stands and even some established suburban neighborhoods with large trees. You might have them living in your attic or soffit without ever knowing it, as they’re silent compared to their larger relatives.
Southern flying squirrels are highly social, often sharing nest sites with multiple individuals during winter months. Research from wildlife biologists indicates that groups of up to 20 flying squirrels may huddle together for warmth, though summer groups are typically smaller.
Nocturnal Lifestyle
Flying squirrels emerge about an hour after sunset and remain active throughout the night. If you’re determined to spot one in Orlando, try:
- Position yourself near large oak or hickory trees shortly after dark
- Listen for soft chirping or bird-like calls
- Use a flashlight with a red filter (less disturbing to wildlife)
- Look for small shapes gliding between trees
- Check for telltale scratch marks and small droppings near tree cavities
Their diet consists primarily of nuts, acorns, seeds, insects, bird eggs, and tree buds. Unlike eastern gray squirrels, flying squirrels also feed on fungi, tree sap, and occasionally carrion, making them valuable members of the forest ecosystem.
Fox Squirrel
The fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) is Orlando’s largest and most colorful tree squirrel, though you’ll find them less frequently in dense urban areas. These impressive rodents prefer the city’s outskirts, parks, and pine forest habitats.
Identification Features
Fox squirrels are notably larger than eastern gray squirrels, measuring 17-27 inches in total length and weighing 1-3 pounds.
Their coloration varies significantly, but in Central Florida, you’ll typically see individuals with orange-brown or rust-colored undersides, gray backs, and distinctive black markings on their face, feet, and tail edges.
Some fox squirrels display more black coloration, while others appear predominantly gray with rusty highlights.
Comparison: Fox Squirrel vs. Eastern Gray Squirrel
| Feature | Fox Squirrel | Eastern Gray Squirrel |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 17-27 inches, 1-3 lbs | 16-22 inches, 14-21 oz |
| Coloration | Orange-brown with black markings | Gray with white belly |
| Tail | Bushier, often black-edged | Gray, less bushy |
| Speed | Slower, more deliberate | Quick, agile |
| Preferred Habitat | Pine forests, open woodlands | Dense urban areas, hardwood forests |
Habitat and Range
In the Orlando region, fox squirrels gravitate toward longleaf pine forests, parks with mixed pine and oak trees, and rural areas with scattered tree coverage. They’re more terrestrial than eastern gray squirrels, spending considerable time foraging on the ground.
You might spot them in places like Wekiwa Springs State Park, suburban developments near the Econ River, or in neighborhoods bordering natural areas.
According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, fox squirrels prefer open forest structures with minimal understory vegetation, which explains why they thrive in frequently burned pine ecosystems that eastern gray squirrels tend to avoid.
Important Note: Fox squirrel populations have declined in some parts of Florida due to habitat loss. Preserving mature pine forests and maintaining natural fire cycles helps support these beautiful animals.
Behavioral Differences
Fox squirrels move more deliberately than the frenetic eastern gray squirrel. You’ll notice them walking or trotting on the ground rather than making the quick dashes and sudden stops characteristic of gray squirrels. They’re also less vocal, producing softer calls and chatters.
Their diet includes:
- Pine cone seeds and pine nuts
- Acorns from turkey oak and live oak
- Fungi and mushrooms
- Fruits including saw palmetto berries
- Agricultural crops like corn when available
Fox squirrels are solitary except during breeding season, which occurs twice yearly (winter and summer). They construct large, conspicuous leaf nests in tree forks or use tree cavities when available, often selecting sites in pine trees rather than hardwoods.
Living Alongside Orlando’s Squirrels
Understanding the three squirrel species in Orlando enriches your connection to local wildlife. Eastern gray squirrels bring energy to your backyard, southern flying squirrels maintain nocturnal forest health, and fox squirrels add colorful diversity to parks and natural areas.
Each species has adapted uniquely to Central Florida’s environment, creating a mosaic of squirrel behavior and ecology right outside your window.
Whether you’re watching an eastern gray squirrel’s acrobatic bird feeder raid, hoping to glimpse a flying squirrel’s graceful glide, or observing a fox squirrel’s leisurely foraging in a pine forest, you’re witnessing millions of years of evolutionary adaptation playing out in real time.
These bushy-tailed neighbors remind us that even in a growing metropolitan area, wildlife finds ways to thrive alongside us—sometimes in plain sight, sometimes hidden in the darkness, and sometimes just beyond the city limits.
