Eastern Gray Squirrels

Here are a couple of Eastern Gray Squirrels ready for action, all set to jump or scamper depending on what I do. Although they don't necessarily stay in poses like these for long, squirrels are frequently found in poses resembling superheroes.

Another interesting thing about Eastern Gray Squirrels is that they're not necessarily gray. In fact, a little south of me the Princeton campus is known for its melanistic squirrels, basically Eastern Gray Squirrels with black coloring. It's possible that black squirrels have a slight camouflage advantage in coniferous forests which tend to be darker than deciduous forests, and it's possible they have a slight thermoregulation advantage where it's very cold. It's less clear why they seem to have carved out a home in Princeton.

While they're too common to get excited about from a naturalist perspective, squirrels can be entertaining to watch.

January 6, 2022 at Duke Farms
Photo 176178635, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


September 16, 2022 at Duke Island Park
Photo 248764307, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

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