Michigan is a city in the northeastern part of the United States. It is a city of many dense forests and urban parks, which makes it a good habitat for various squirrels.
You may primarily find four types of squirrels in Michigan. They are; Eastern Gray Squirrel, Fox Squirrel, Red Squirrel, and Southern Flying Squirrel. Each of the squirrels has different characteristics and distinct behavior. This article presents details of each of the types of squirrels in Michigan.
Therefore, if you are interested in Michigan squirrels, we recommend reading this article till the end. We hope you will get the answers to your quires about the types of squirrels in Michigan.
Kind of Squirrels in Michigan
We have already mentioned the four types of squirrels in Michigan. In this section, we will describe these types of squirrels in detail. Before starting the description, let us show a table on types of squirrels for easy understanding.
| Types | Squirrel Name | Scientific Name |
| 1 | Eastern Gray Squirrel | Sciurus carolinensis |
| 2 | Fox Squirrel | Sciurus niger |
| 3 | American Red Squirrel | Tamiasciurus hudsonicus |
| 4 | Southern Flying Squirrel | Glaucomys volans |
- Eastern Gray Squirrel
Eastern Gray Squirrel is the most familiar species of Michigan squirrel in North America.
Physical Description
The Eastern Gray Squirrel is commonly gray. However, you may see this squirrel in 4 different colors. The colors are; gray, black, brown, and albino. The average weight of this type of squirrel is 1-1.5 pounds and the average length is 16-20 inches.
Habitat
Eastern North America is the area of Eastern Gary Squirrel. They are adaptable in urban, suburban, and even rural areas. They prefer forests, parks, and residential areas that have ample trees as their habitat.
Reproduction
Eastern Gray Squirrel has two breeding seasons each year. Late winter and late summer are the perfect time for breeding. Their gestation period is approximately 44 days.
Diet
The diet of the Eastern Gray squirrel varies based on the seasonal availability of food and location. But, the main foods are different types of nuts, fruits, buds, and seeds. Nuts include walnuts, acorns, hickory nuts, etc. They also consume bird eggs, insects, and fungi if required.
Behavior
- Eastern Gray Squirrels are diurnal. So, their activity is high during the day.
- They make nests with leaves, twigs, and wood at the top of the tree.
- They hide foods as storage for the winter season.
- Fox Squirrel
Fox squirrels get their name because they have radish brown fur like foxes’ fur.
Physical Description
Fox squirrels are the largest species of tree squirrels. Their height is between 18 – 27 inches and their weight is around 1.5 to 2.5 pounds.
Habitat
The eastern part of the United States is the primary area for fox squirrels. They prefer forests and woodland for living. Yet, they also can adapt to human habitation.
Reproduction
Late winter and summer are the two suitable seasons for breeding.
Diet
Fox squirrels consume walnuts, acorns, fruits, seeds, and insects. They occasionally eat small vertebrates.
Behavior
- They spend most of their time searching for food, climbing trees, and sometimes playing.
- Fox squirrel Michigan has a habit of caching food. This useful habit helps them to survive in winter.
- They use various vocalizations like alarm calls to communicate. Also, they use tail flicks to express their intention.
- American Red Squirrel
American Red Squirrels are quite common in Michigan.
Physical Description
This type of squirrel is smaller compared with the other type. The height of American Red Squirrels is between 9 to 12 inches. According to weight, they are relatively very lightweight. The range of their weight is 6 to 10 ounces.
Habitat
American Red Squirrels prefer coniferous forests. Not only coniferous forests, but they can adapt to human residence with abundant conifer trees.
Reproduction
They also breed twice yearly, primarily in early summer and late winter. Sometimes, they breed only once in a year.
Diet
Michigan Red Squirrels like pine cones’ seeds, nuts, and fruits. They also intake insects, bird eggs, and fungi.
Behavior
- Like other Michigan Squirrels, they are also mostly active in the daytime.
- They are very aggressive and energetic.
- The communication skills of the Red squirrels are quite good, they use vocalization to warn their enemy.
- Southern Flying Squirrel
Anyone may assume that the Southern Flying Squirrels can fly after listening to the name. The interesting thing is that they actually cannot fly like the birds. However, flying squirrels in Michigan have gliding ability.
Physical Description
These squirrels are the smallest among the four types of squirrels in Michigan. Their weight range is between 2 to 4 ounces and their height range is about 8 to 10 inches. Southern flying Squirrels have patagium exceptionally. The patagium is a membrane of their skin that helps to stretch wrists to the ankle.
Habitat
Southern Flying Squirrels can be found in the southern and eastern parts of the United States. Mature forests are a suitable habitat for them. Moreover, they can live in suburban and rural areas with sufficient trees.
Reproduction
Like the Eastern Gray Squirrels, Southern Flying Squirrels also breed in late winter and late summer in a year. The child is born blind, they get vision power with time and care.
Diet
Squirrels have certain food options in their food habits. Most squirrels eat nuts, fruits, seeds, and occasionally fungi, and insects. The diet of Southern Flying Squirrels is the same.
Behavior
- The other 3 types of Michigan Squirrels are diurnal but the Southern Flying Squirrels are nocturnal. Nocturnal means, they are active at night.
- They store food through a process called hoarding. In this process, they hide foods for future use.
- Gliding ability is a unique feature of the Sothern Flying Squirrels. Gliding helps them to search for food.
When Do Squirrels Have Babies in Michigan: An Easy Table
| Squirrel Type | Breeding Season (Per Year) | Breeding Season’s Description | Litter Size |
| Eastern Gray Squirrel | 2 | February to April (Late winter to early spring)June to August (Late summer to late fall) | 2 to 4 babies |
| Fox Squirrel | 2 | January to March (Late winter to early spring)June to July (Summer) | 2 to 5 babies |
| American Red Squirrel | 2 (Occasionally 1) | February to April (Late winter to early spring)May to July (Early summer) | 2 to 8 babies |
| Southern Flying Squirrel | 2 | January to March (Late Winter to early spring)June to August (Late summer to early fall) | 2 to 7 babies |
Conclusion
The types of squirrels in Michigan reveal the enriched natural tapestry of the United States. The Fox Squirrels are the largest and the Southern Flying Squirrels are the smallest. Whereas most squirrels are active during the day, the Southern Flying Squirrels are active at night.
The physical features, behavior, habitat, and reproduction of these 4 types of squirrels are slightly different. However, they have the same diet pattern. And they contribute equally to enrich the wildlife.
We should protect the squirrels by reducing deforestation. Moreover, we should follow the rules of the squirrel conservation policy to protect the squirrels because squirrels are important for ecological balance and biodiversity.
