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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)
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
420 Verified sightings at Sacramento
382 In all 3 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
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.
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 →
Sounds
Recording0:16
United States · 2023
© Gina Genduso · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:10
United States · 2024
© dunnahoo · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:04
United States · 2021
© bobbyjon · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recent sightings of Western Gray Squirrel in Sacramento
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Redwood National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Paddock Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Closest Relatives at Sacramento
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Western Gray Squirrel in Sacramento?
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Western Gray Squirrel sighting in Sacramento on a given day, based on 420 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 22 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Western Gray Squirrel in Sacramento?
October and December–January
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Western Gray Squirrel in Sacramento on a given day, against about 20% in August, the lowest month. Those are among Sacramento's wettest months, with about 80 mm of rain a month against almost none in July.
What time of day is best to see a Western Gray Squirrel?
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Gray 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.
Is Sacramento the best place to see a Western Gray Squirrel?
Yes
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Western Gray Squirrel sightings, Sacramento has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Los Angeles (United States, about 10%) and Portland (United States, under 5%).
Which relatives of the Western Gray Squirrel live in Sacramento?
Same genus: Sciurus
The closest relatives of the Western Gray Squirrel that you can see in Sacramento (genus Sciurus, Tree Squirrels) are Fox Squirrel (about 50%) and Eastern Gray Squirrel (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Western Gray Squirrel sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Western Gray Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in Sacramento (420 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.
