Western Gray Squirrel
Sciurus griseus
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderRodentia (Rodents)
- FamilySciuridae (Squirrels)
- GenusSciurus (Tree Squirrels)
- SpeciesSciurus griseus (Western Gray Squirrel)
About the Western Gray Squirrel
The western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus) is a tree squirrel found along the western coast of the United States and Mexico. In some places, this species has also been known as the silver-gray squirrel, the California gray squirrel, the Oregon gray squirrel, the Columbian gray squirrel and the banner-tail. There are three geographical subspecies: S. g. griseus (central Washington to the western Sierra Nevada in central California); S. g. nigripes (from south of San Francisco Bay to San Luis Obispo County, California); and S. g. anthonyi (which ranges from San Luis Obispo to northern Baja California).
In some landscapes, the western gray squirrel has lost habitat or experienced local extinction due to competition with other squirrel species and other pressures on their population. The western gray squirrel was first described by George Ord in 1818 based on notes taken by Lewis and Clark at The Dalles in Wasco County, Oregon.
Sciurus griseus is the largest tree squirrel in the Sierra Nevada and Central California range. It has plantigrade, pentadactyl feet with two phalanges. Compared with the eastern gray squirrel S. carolinensis or the fox squirrel S. niger (which... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Western Gray Squirrel in Redwood National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Redwood National Park
Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
Douglas' Squirrel
Tamiasciurus douglasii
Shadow Chipmunk
Tamias senex
Sonoma Chipmunk
Tamias sonomae
Deer Mouse
Peromyscus maniculatus
American Beaver
Castor canadensis
Sonoma Tree Vole
Arborimus pomo
Mountain Beaver
Aplodontia rufa
Red Tree Vole
Arborimus longicaudus
Western Red-backed Vole
Myodes californicus
Dusky-footed Woodrat
Neotoma fuscipes
Quiller
Erethizon dorsatus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Western Gray Squirrel in Redwood National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Western Gray Squirrel sighting in Redwood National Park, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Western Gray Squirrel in Redwood National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Western Gray Squirrel in Redwood National Park in our monthly data.