One of the first mountain residents to catch my attention when I moved to Western North Carolina in 1986 was the raucous “boomer.” This high-energy denizen of the mountain forests is also known as the red squirrel or pine squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus.) Before encountering the boomer, I had always considered the grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) to be the “little” squirrel.

In the hardwood swamps of the Louisiana delta where I grew up, the most common species of squirrel was the fox squirrel. Fox squirrels are much larger than grey squirrels and completely dwarf boomers.

Fox squirrels are found throughout the eastern United States from Florida to Canada, with the exception of New England, and westward to the Dakotas, Colorado and Texas. They are the largest species of tree squirrels and exhibit distinct color phases which may be different in different parts of their range. In Louisiana, the most prominent color was rusty-brown above with a creamy, yellowish belly, although black fox squirrels were fairly common.

On a recent trip to the low country of South Carolina, I was introduced to the largest of the fox squirrels (Sciurus niger shermani). Sherman’s fox squirrels are commonly over two feet long and some may weigh as much as three pounds. This subspecies also has a black color phase but the most common color is grey above and white below, much the same as the grey squirrel, but with a black face which gives a masked or hooded appearance.

Sherman’s fox squirrel is found in suitable habitats in Florida, coastal Georgia and coastal South Carolina. Preferred habitats include longleaf pine, turkey oak sandhills, live oak hammocks and cypress and mangrove swamps in Florida. Population numbers are dwindling, however, as suitable habitat disappears to make room for development, crop farming and the farming of faster growing tree species. The Sherman’s fox squirrel is listed as threatened in Florida and is a candidate for listing in Georgia and South Carolina.

While the numbers are declining in South Carolina, the population on Spring Island appears healthy and stable. Chris Marsh, naturalist at Spring Island and executive director of the Low Country Institute, said that management techniques and a variety of food sources on the island contribute to the healthy population.

While I was on the island, I saw many squirrels on the ground sniffing out mushrooms and grazing on the planted rye grass. Their diet consists of various acorns, pine seeds, fungi, bulbs, insects, vegetative buds and staminate pine cones.

Fox squirrels, throughout their range, depend on three basic types of shelter; winter and summer nests — or dreys — and cavities. Tree cavities, lined with soft material like lichen and spanish moss, are commonly used by northern fox squirrels. Sherman’s fox squirrels primarily utilize dreys.

A study on the White Oak Plantation in Florida revealed that primary or winter dreys were built of mostly longleaf needles and generally located high in longleaf pines. The secondary, or summer, dreys were generally built of twigs and leafs and found in hardwood trees. Both dreys are waterproof, but the winter drey is always more elaborate than the summer drey.

The Sherman’s fox squirrel has a life span of seven to eight years. There are two breeding seasons: December to February and May to June. Some females produce a litter each breeding season but one litter per year is more common. The normal litter contains two to four young.

The young strike out on their own at about eight months. Some may travel five miles or more before establishing a home range. These squirrels have a large home range. Home ranges for males average 200 acres and females average around 80 acres. Females establish territories and guard them from other females. Males roam freely and are not territorial.

Fire suppression is also a detriment to the Sherman’s fox squirrel. Fires in the southeast favor longleaf pine and clear underbrush. The result of frequent natural fires is a habitat occupied by longleaf pine with scattered hardwoods and an open understory. Perfect habitat for Sherman’s fox squirrels.

The large slow moving, often terrestrial, Sherman’s fox squirrel is the antithesis of its northern, frenetic cousin, the canopy crusin’ boomer.

(Don Hendershot can be reached at don@smokymountainnews.com)

 

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