California's Four Resident Tree Squirrels
On smaller screens the chart becomes interactive — choose two squirrels to compare.
| Western Gray | Eastern Gray | Fox Squirrel | Douglas Squirrel (smaller native) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Sciurus griseus | Sciurus carolinensis | Sciurus niger | Tamiasciurus douglasii |
| Native or Introduced | Native to the West Coast | Introduced from the eastern U.S. | Introduced from the Midwest and eastern U.S. | Native to Pacific Northwest and Sierra/Cascade forests |
| Total Length | 17–24 in | 16–21 in | 18–28 in | 12–14 in (about half) |
| Belly | White | White (usually — all-dark melanistic individuals occur) | Usually rusty orange (some individuals paler) | Creamy buff to burnt orange, shifting with the seasons |
| Face & Eyes | Clean gray face; little or no brown eye fur | Warm brown-rufous fur around the eyes | Warm rusty face; eye ring often less distinct | Pale eye ring (varies seasonally) |
| Coat | Solid steel gray, no mottling | Gray-brown with warm orange/rufous tones | Grizzled gray with rusty-orange tones | Reddish-brown above; two-tone |
| Tail | Long, full, feathery, frosted silver edges | Thinner, scruffier, fringed in white | Large and bushy, rusty orange with dark banding | Shorter, dark with pale edges |
| Behavior | Shy, wary, stays near trees; rarely urban | Bold, comfortable around people; common in parks | Bold, human-tolerant, urban-adapted; often forages on the ground | Quick, loud, territorial; forest-dwelling |
| Vocalization | Low "kuk kuk kuk", soft warbling | Raspy squeaks, harsh chatter | Guttural grunts, barking calls | High-pitched chirps, descending trill, soft cooing |
| Habitat | Oak woodland and conifer forest with connected canopy | City parks, gardens, neighborhoods | Suburbs, county parks, farms | Conifer forests, coast redwoods to mountain firs |
The Douglas Squirrel is native and noticeably smaller — about half the length of the other three.