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Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
Silhouette: Anthony Caravaggi · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderRodentia (Rodents)
- FamilySciuridae (Squirrels)
- GenusSciurus (Tree Squirrels)
- SpeciesSciurus carolinensis (Eastern Gray Squirrel)
In 3 days ~70% in a week ~90%
4,747 Verified sightings at San Francisco
1,761 In all 10 parks From 2019 to 2026
September Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
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About the Eastern Gray Squirrel
The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), spelled as grey squirrel outside of the United States, is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus. It is native to eastern North America, where it is the most prodigious and ecologically essential natural forest regenerator. Widely introduced to certain places around the world, the eastern gray squirrel in Europe, in particular, is regarded as an invasive species.
In Europe, Sciurus carolinensis is included (since 2016) in the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union concern (the Union list). This implies that this species cannot be imported, bred, transported, commercialized, or intentionally released into the environment in the whole of the European Union.
Sciurus carolinensis is native to the eastern and midwestern United States, and to the southerly portions of the central provinces of Canada. In the mid-1800s the population in the midwestern United States was described as being "truly astonishing," but human predation and habitat destruction through deforestation resulted in drastic population reductions, to the point that the animal was almost absent from Illinois by 1900.
The native range of the eastern... Wikipedia →
Sounds
Alarm call0:22
United Kingdom · 2026
© Paul Gosling · XC1181524 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Call0:14
United Kingdom · 2020
© Simon Elliott · XC961023 · CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Recording0:11
United Kingdom · 2026
© Erzhan Nūrgaliyev · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recent sightings of Eastern Gray Squirrel in San Francisco
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Snowdonia National Park | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Table Mountain National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Point Pelee National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States |
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turin | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 2 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 5 | Manchester | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Milan | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 9 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Busch Gardens Tampa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | World Bird Sanctuary | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Parque Municipal Summit | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Edinburgh Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 6 | London Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 7 | Lincoln Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Palm Beach Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Closest Relatives at San Francisco
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing an Eastern Gray Squirrel in San Francisco?
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Gray Squirrel sighting in San Francisco on a given day, based on 4,747 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 38 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 an Eastern Gray Squirrel in San Francisco?
April and September–November
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Gray Squirrel in San Francisco on a given day, against about 20% in June and July, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see an Eastern Gray Squirrel?
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eastern Gray Squirrel sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is San Francisco the best place to see an Eastern Gray Squirrel?
27th of 30
Of the 30 cities where we can rate Eastern Gray Squirrel sightings, San Francisco ranks 27th at about 30%. The best odds are in Turin (Italy, about 90%), Boston (United States, about 80%) and London (United Kingdom, about 80%).
Where does the Eastern Gray Squirrel sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eastern Gray Squirrel is recorded against all the mammals logged in San Francisco (4,747 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.
