Meet Daniel Island's nuttiest neighbors - the fox squirrels!

“What is the deal with these squirrels?” a guest recently asked, studying something from our dining room window.

A glance over her shoulder explained the question. Fifteen feet away, an adult fox squirrel lay on an oak limb, assessing whether the activity on the other side of the window panes was anything to be concerned about. Apparently it was not, because he stayed there for quite some time. It surprised me a little that our friend, who is from Atlanta, was not familiar with the species.

Growing up on the Isle of Palms meant being surrounded by fox squirrels. They seemed to love the combination of mature pine trees and oaks and did not have many predators. I had a tremendous fascination with them. Their large size, different colorations and more relaxed demeanor than their gray squirrel cousins made them seem like a different animal altogether. My next-door neighbor, Tommy, was something of a “squirrel nut.” Fox squirrels would actually climb his jeans and jacket and sit on his shoulder for a pecan. I know now that feeding or petting wild animals is potentially harmful to them and is a hazard to humans. Please do not do either of these things. Still, my memories of watching Tommy and the squirrels will never fade. Sadly, the Isle of Palms population was decimated by Hurricane Hugo and, according to a childhood friend I spoke with last week, they have not recovered.

Some 30 years later, I arrived on Daniel Island and was delighted by the numbers of fox squirrels here. If you haven’t noticed our black-faced, oversized, lumbering fox squirrels, some can nearly always be found in the large fields beside the Daniel Island Real Estate sales center. There are populations in many other areas of the island, too, particularly where stands of mature pines, oaks or pecan trees are found. They seem particularly fond of areas bordering the golf course.

According to the Nature Works website (www.nhptv.org/natureworks), fox squirrels range from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border and from the central U.S. to the Atlantic, with the exception of most of New England. They exist in multiple subspecies and colorations. They are about twice the size of gray squirrels, with adults weighing 2 to 2.5 pounds. Fox squirrels can breed up to twice a year, typically bearing two to four blind, naked young per litter in the hollow of a tree. If a hollow is not available, a large nest can be built, which looks like an oversized bird’s nest. The babies won’t open their eyes for about five weeks and are completely helpless.

In South Carolina, our subspecies is the southern fox squirrel, or Sciurus niger niger. They exist in gray (most common), black (less common) and brown (rare) colorations. Many of the gray variety have black faces and various color accents. According to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources website (www.dnr.sc.gov), our state’s fox squirrels inhabit both the piedmont region and the coastal plain, typically mate once per year, giving birth in February and March, and live, on average, three to four years. Some specimens have lived up to 12 years. Pine seeds, acorns, hickory nuts, pecans and even some cultivated seeds are common foods. When required, these squirrels will eat tubers, roots, insects and even bird eggs.

Fox squirrels are easy to find and fun to watch. They are less afraid of humans than gray squirrels are and they lend themselves well to photography. Sometimes, as in the photo accompanying this column, they almost seem willing to pose.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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