Fox Squirrel

The fox squirrel has an alias that overshadows its true identity as a fox squirrel—that of red squirrel. Ask any farmer in Illinois if he has any squirrels and he’ll say, “Sure, we have lots of red squirrels.” This reply gives any mammalogist or naturalist a “start.” Why? Because the actual red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is a much smaller animal that is a rare species in Illinois, found only in a cluster of northeastern counties bordering the Kankakee and Iroquois rivers, particularly in the Momence area eastward to the Indiana line. In contrast, the very common fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) is found statewide, particularly in rural areas. After about the tenth time this response is elicited, the inquirer responds, “Oh, you mean a fox squirrel,” followed by a long explanation to a somewhat puzzled farmer. After all, the smaller gray-colored squirrel encountered in urban settings is called a gray squirrel. It is only logical that the red-colored fox squirrel seen on a daily basis should be called a red squirrel!

The fox squirrel is a rural species at heart. Some live in urban environments, but not to the extent that grays do. Originally an inhabitant of woodlands with open spaces, savannas and woodland edges, fox squirrels do not like the interiors of dense forests favored by grays. Fox squirrels adapted well to farmsteads with their savanna-like character and the surrounding farmlands immediately adjoining the farmsteads. Many farmsteads once had significant black walnut plantings. Farms also had two other sources of reliable winter food: that of waste ear corn in fields and “hedge apples” that littered the ground along the Osage orange hedgerows. Fox squirrels often dug through snow to get to them.

Natural predation of fox squirrels by coyotes, hawks, owls, dogs, cats and foxes is significant but pales in comparison to those killed intentionally and unintentionally by humans. The number one killer is the automobile.

Because fox squirrels spend a lot of time traveling on the ground some distance from trees, especially when searching for waste ear corn in fall and winter, they are vulnerable to several species of raptors. Some species of hawks make attempts at taking a fox squirrel, and some succeed. Cooper’s hawks try, although they are usually not successful. This hawk is used to taking the smaller gray squirrel, particularly in urban settings. Oftentimes, urban homeowners find a gray squirrel carcass picked clean to the bone, not having a clue that a Cooper’s is the culprit.

The fox squirrel does have a way of evading and frustrating hawks if it is in or near a substantial tree and has a second or two warning that the hawk is coming. Squirrels frantically spiral up and around the tree trunk and through the latticework of branches with the hawk in pursuit. Needless to say, the fast, sure-footed, nimble squirrel wins this confrontation almost every time.

Decades ago, squirrel hunting in fall with a .22 rifle was a common venture in the woods of Illinois. Pan-fried squirrel was about “on par” with rabbits for eating wild fare. Rural folks looked forward to this fall autumn treat. Such fare has fallen from favor for many, but some ‘foodies’ today relish preparing locally sourced meals after a hunt.

In recent decades there has been an increase in the number of road-killed squirrels. Why? Cars are faster, speed limits are higher, and road traffic is heavier.

The roadkill of fox squirrels is staggering in some locations. In a one-mile stretch of an Illinois state route that is bordered by oak–hickory timber on one or both sides, it is not uncommon to see up to three fox squirrels killed in a day’s time. These oaks, hickories and walnuts attract and sustain a large fox squirrel population. This author has lived in this locality for more than 60 years and has taken notice of the road kills. On a weekly basis, road kills are quite variable due to differences in seasonal squirrel behavior and weather conditions. Some weeks have no kills. Other weeks may average one a day. Depending on the year, local conditions, and fox squirrel population ups and downs, local residents estimate that 50 to a 100 or more fox squirrels are killed by traffic on this stretch of road in a year.

A few wild species are quite adept at negotiating traffic. Crows who feed on road kills in the middle of a busy highway seldom if ever are hit, flying away in just the nick of time. They peck away at waste grain on roadside shoulders, never moving away from traffic a yard away. It is a different story with fox squirrels. They need at least two seconds to cross a road. Cars traveling at 60 mph cover 88 feet a second. It seems hardly fair. The only obvious strategy is to not cross the road at all. After all, they have figured out a way to evade hawks.

Or maybe the onus is on us.

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Robert J. Reber is an emeritus faculty member in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition of the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He has been a lifelong student of many aspects of the Natural World, including archaeology. Bob has served as a managing editor and author for publications such as “The Illinois Steward” magazine and the “Illinois Master Naturalist Curriculum Guide.”