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 Yosemite National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Yosemite National Park
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
California Ground Squirrel
Otospermophilus beecheyi
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Marmota flaviventris
Douglas' Squirrel
Tamiasciurus douglasii
Belding's Ground Squirrel
Urocitellus beldingi
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Callospermophilus lateralis
Lodgepole Chipmunk
Tamias speciosus
Alpine Chipmunk
Tamias alpinus
Long-eared Chipmunk
Tamias quadrimaculatus
Merriam's Chipmunk
Tamias merriami
Least Chipmunk
Tamias minimus
American Beaver
Castor canadensis
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 Yosemite National Park?
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Western Gray Squirrel sighting in Yosemite National Park, based on 1,029 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Western Gray Squirrel in Yosemite National Park?
December has the highest sighting rate for Western Gray Squirrel in Yosemite National Park in our monthly data.