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Squirrels

Stylized illustration of squirrels

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What puts these creatures in a single group is their shared lifestyle as acrobatic, elevated rodents built for vertical living. Whether you spot a gray, a fox, or a red one crossing your fence, they all operate on the same biological blueprint featuring a bushy tail for balance, a distinct bounding gait, and front paws that make short work of bird seed and wooden siding. They are mammals that choose to spend most of their lives off the ground, which unites them across regions and species lines.

You can tell this group apart from ground dwelling rodents like chipmunks or voles by watching where they spend their time and looking at how they move. While ground dwellers scurry into holes in your flowerbeds, these climbers head straight up trunks and rooflines, leaving behind clustered paw prints showing four toes on the front feet and five on the back. If you find tracks in the snow or mud, a rabbit leaves a completely different pattern of staggered prints, whereas this group moves in pairs that give away their identity instantly.

Explore squirrels

Illustration of Eastern gray squirrelEastern gray squirrelSciurus carolinensisIllustration of Fox squirrelFox squirrelSciurus nigerIllustration of American red squirrelAmerican red squirrelTamiasciurus hudsonicus

Questions about squirrels

SquirrelsHow do you get squirrels out of an attic?Learn how to humanely evict squirrels from your attic using proper identification, one-way exclusion doors, and permanent structural sealing.SquirrelsWhat are flying squirrels doing in an attic?Learn why flying squirrels enter attics, how to identify them by their nocturnal habits and physical traces, what exclusion steps work best, and when you need to call a professionaSquirrelsHow do you deal with squirrels inside walls?Learn how to safely identify, evict, and permanently keep squirrels out of your home walls without risking your safety or property.SquirrelsHow do you keep squirrels out of a garden?Learn how to keep squirrels out of your garden using physical barriers, sanitation, and smart defense strategies.SquirrelsWhat does a squirrel in the attic sound like?Learn what a squirrel in the attic sounds like, how to identify daytime activity versus nocturnal pests, and how to handle exclusion safely.SquirrelsHow much does squirrel removal from an attic cost?Discover what drives the cost of squirrel removal from an attic, how to identify the pest, and when to call a professional.SquirrelsFlying squirrels vs other squirrels in an attic: what signs help?Learn how to tell if you have flying squirrels or tree squirrels in your attic by examining noises, droppings, and entry points, plus safe exclusion steps.SquirrelsWhy should squirrel exclusion account for possible young in an attic?Explains why checking for young squirrels in the attic is essential before attempting exclusion work, detailing identification, timing, and safety.SquirrelsHow can you inspect an attic for squirrel entry without sealing animals inside?Learn how to inspect an attic for squirrel entry without trapping animals inside using safe, non-lethal observation methods.SquirrelsIs the scratching in the attic caused by mice or squirrels?Learn how to tell whether the scratching in your attic is caused by mice or squirrels based on timing, physical evidence, and behavior.