Sciurus niger
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%
The fox squirrel (Sciurus niger), also known as the eastern fox squirrel or Bryant's fox squirrel, is the largest species of tree squirrel native to North America. It is sometimes mistaken for the American red squirrel or eastern gray squirrel in areas where the species coexist, though they differ in size and coloration.The word Sciurus came from the ancient Greek words skia, meaning shade, and oura, meaning tail. Niger refers to the black coloration.
The fox squirrel's total length measures 20 to 30 in (50.8 to 76.2 cm), with a body length of 10 to 15 in (25.4 to 38.1 cm) and a similar tail length. They range in weight from 1.0 to 2.5 lb (453.6 to 1,134.0 g).The length of its hind foot is 5.1 to 8.2 cm. There is no sexual dimorphism in size or appearance. Individuals tend to be smaller in the West. There are three distinct geographical morphs in coloration. In most areas, the animal's upper body is brown-grey to brown-yellow with a typically brownish-orange underside, while in eastern regions, such as the Appalachians, there are more strikingly-patterned dark brown and black squirrels with white bands on the face and tail. In the South and parts of Nebraska and Iowa... Wikipedia →
Alarm call0:54
United States · 2016
© Chris Harrison · XC1046111 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording0:25
United States · 2026
© Whitmore Pond · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:33
United States · 2023
© Shaun Michael · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | San Antonio | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Austin | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Dallas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Houston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parque Municipal Summit | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 2 | Pueblo Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Zoológico y Acuario de Nuevo Laredo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Big Bear Alpine Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Lamar Bruni Vergara Environmental Science Center | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | California Wildlife Center, Malibu | 🇺🇸 United States |
Likely
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Fox Squirrel sighting in Sacramento on a given day, based on 1,457 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 22 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September to January
In those months about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Fox Squirrel in Sacramento on a given day, against about 50% in February to August, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Fox Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 15
Of the 15 cities where we can rate Fox Squirrel sightings, Sacramento ranks 4th at about 50%. The best odds are in Salt Lake City (United States, about 80%), San Antonio (United States, about 70%) and Austin (United States, about 70%).
Same genus: Sciurus
The closest relatives of the Fox Squirrel that you can see in Sacramento (genus Sciurus, Tree Squirrels) are Western Gray Squirrel (about 30%) and Eastern Gray Squirrel (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Fox Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Sacramento (1,457 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
