Types of squirrels include tree squirrels, ground squirrels, and flying squirrels, with many familiar North American species falling into just a handful of easy-to-recognize patterns. If you want to identify what you are seeing in your yard, local park, or woods, the fastest clues are where the animal is, how it moves, and the shape of its tail.
Once you know the three main squirrel groups and a few common species traits, most squirrel sightings become much easier to identify.
In practice, you will usually notice tree squirrels first, especially eastern gray squirrels, fox squirrels, and red squirrels. Ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, prairie dogs, and the groundhog also belong to the squirrel family, which surprises a lot of readers the first time they hear it.
If you watch squirrels often, you start to see patterns quickly. Gray squirrels tend to pause and flick their tails in parks and suburbs, red squirrels often stay busy in conifers and sound much more vocal, and flying squirrels are often present long before you ever spot one.
Key Takeaways
- You can sort most squirrels by whether they live in trees, on the ground, or glide.
- Many animals you may not call squirrels, like chipmunks and groundhogs, are still in the Sciuridae family.
- Range, tail shape, behavior, and habitat usually identify a squirrel faster than color alone.
How Squirrels Are Classified
Squirrels belong to a broad mammal family with many forms, from canopy-dwelling species to burrowing prairie dogs. For field use, it helps to know both the formal classification and the everyday groupings people use.
What Belongs to the Squirrel Family
All squirrels are part of the Sciuridae family, sometimes called the sciuridae family in general guides. This family includes familiar squirrels, plus chipmunks, marmots, prairie dogs, and the groundhog.
That means a chipmunk is a squirrel relative, and so is a prairie dog. If you have only pictured squirrels as bushy-tailed animals in trees, that classification can feel unexpected at first.
The Main Squirrel Subfamilies
Scientists divide Sciuridae into several subfamilies, including Sciurinae, Xerinae, Ratufinae, Callosciurinae, and Sciurillinae. In broad terms, these groupings reflect evolutionary relationships, body form, and geographic history.
For North American readers, the names you will encounter most often are less about subfamily labels and more about whether the animal is a tree squirrel, ground squirrel, or one of the gliding squirrels.
How Scientists Group Tree, Ground, and Gliding Forms
Most everyday guides group the types of squirrels into three practical categories:
- Tree squirrels
- Ground squirrels
- Flying squirrels, also called gliding squirrels
This is not the full taxonomic story, though it is the most useful one when you are trying to identify an animal in the wild. AZ Animals often uses this same broad educational approach in animal classification content because it matches how people actually observe wildlife.
The Three Main Squirrel Groups
You can identify most squirrel sightings by starting with body shape, posture, and habitat. The difference between a tree squirrel in a canopy, a burrowing ground squirrel, and a flying squirrel with a patagium is usually more useful than color alone.
Tree-Dwelling Species
Tree squirrels are the classic squirrels most people picture. They have long, bushy tails, strong climbing ability, and a body shape built for branches and trunks.
Examples include the eastern gray squirrel, fox squirrel, red squirrel, western gray squirrel, and the largest tree squirrel species found in many U.S. regions, the fox squirrel. Tree squirrel species usually nest in dreys or tree cavities and spend much of the day foraging above ground.
Burrowing and Ground-Living Species
Ground squirrels tend to have slimmer or more compact bodies, shorter-looking tails, and habits tied to burrows. This group includes many ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, prairie dogs, and the groundhog.
When you watch them in open country, you will often see upright scanning behavior. Prairie dogs and marmots are especially alert, and chipmunks usually move in short, fast bursts with frequent stops.
Gliding Species and the Patagium
Flying squirrels are not true fliers. They are gliding squirrels that use a skin membrane called the patagium, stretched between the front and rear limbs, to glide from tree to tree.
A flying squirrel often goes unseen because it is nocturnal. If you hear light movement around mature trees at dusk and never see the animal in daylight, a flying squirrel may be nearby.
Common Species Readers Are Most Likely to See
The most familiar North American squirrels are not the rarest or most specialized ones. They are the adaptable species that live near neighborhoods, parks, campgrounds, edge habitat, and mixed forest.
Eastern Gray Squirrel and Black Color Morphs
The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), often shortened to gray squirrel, is the species many people in the eastern United States know best. It usually has gray fur, a white underside, and a full tail.
A black squirrel is usually not a separate species. In many areas, black squirrels are a dark color morph of Sciurus carolinensis. If you want more detail, AZ Animals’ Eastern Gray Squirrel content is a useful next stop.
Fox Squirrel, Red Squirrel, and Other Familiar Tree Squirrels
The fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) is larger, heavier-looking, and often more orange, rusty, or mixed in color than a gray squirrel. In many places, it is the largest tree squirrel most people will see regularly.
The red squirrel, also called the American red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), is smaller, more compact, and noticeably more vocal. In the West, you may also encounter the Douglas squirrel, pine squirrel, or chickaree (Tamiasciurus douglasii, sometimes listed historically as Sciurus douglasii), the western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus), the Arizona gray squirrel, also called the Mexican gray squirrel, and Abert’s squirrel or tassel-eared squirrel (Sciurus aberti).
Flying Squirrels Found in North America
North American flying squirrels include the southern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans), northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus), and Humboldt’s flying squirrel (Glaucomys oregonensis).
You are far more likely to detect them by habitat than by direct view. Mature woods, tree cavities, large eyes, and nighttime activity are the clearest field marks.
Well-Known Ground Squirrels, Chipmunks, and Marmot Relatives
Common western and prairie species include the California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi), rock squirrel, thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus), Richardson’s ground squirrel, Columbian ground squirrel (Urocitellus columbianus), Belding’s ground squirrel (Urocitellus beldingi), Franklin’s ground squirrel, Mexican ground squirrel, and arctic ground squirrel.
This larger branch also includes chipmunks, the groundhog (Marmota monax), yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris), and the alpine marmot. If you spend time in fields, mountain roadsides, or open western habitat, these ground-living relatives become much easier to recognize than forest tree squirrels.
Regional Species Across North America
Squirrels in North America vary a lot by region, and range is one of the fastest ways to narrow an identification. If you know your state and habitat type, you can usually rule out most species immediately.
Michigan, Ohio, and the Midwest
In Michigan, Ohio, and much of the Midwest, the most common north american squirrels you will see are the eastern gray squirrel, fox squirrel, and red squirrel. In some towns, black squirrels are common enough that visitors assume they are a separate species.
You may also see the southern flying squirrel in wooded areas, though rarely in daylight. In open grassland or rural settings, species like the thirteen-lined ground squirrel and groundhog may appear.
Florida, Texas, and the South
In Florida and across much of the South, eastern gray squirrels remain common. Fox squirrels are also important in many southern habitats, and they can look dramatically different by region, sometimes with striking color variation.
Texas adds more variety. Along with gray and fox squirrels in suitable wooded habitat, you may encounter the rock squirrel, Mexican ground squirrel, and regionally the southern flying squirrel.
California, Washington, Oregon, and the West
In California, common species include the western gray squirrel and California ground squirrel. Depending on location, you may also encounter Abert’s squirrel nearby in suitable western forests, plus rock squirrels in drier landscapes.
Washington and Oregon support Douglas squirrels, western gray squirrels, northern flying squirrels, and Humboldt’s flying squirrel. In the field, the shy canopy behavior of western gray squirrels stands out from the more vocal Douglas squirrel.
Canada, Alaska, and Northern Forest Species
Across Canada and into Alaska, the American red squirrel is one of the most familiar forest species. The northern flying squirrel is also widespread in suitable boreal and mixed woods.
In far northern and open habitats, the arctic ground squirrel is a standout species. In western mountain and meadow settings, you may also see Columbian ground squirrel, Richardson’s ground squirrel, or Belding’s ground squirrel, depending on region.
How to Identify a Squirrel in the Wild
If you have ever tried to identify a squirrel from a quick backyard sighting, you know color is only part of the answer. The best field marks are body size, tail carriage, nesting site, and movement style.
Size, Tail Shape, and Coat Color
A gray squirrel usually looks medium-sized with a rounded body and full tail. A fox squirrel looks larger, longer, and often more orange or grizzled.
A red squirrel looks smaller and tighter in build, with a shorter-looking tail and more restless motion. A black squirrel may be an eastern gray squirrel in dark fur, so do not identify by color alone.
A chipmunk is much smaller, striped, and ground-oriented. Marmots and the groundhog are much heavier and thicker-bodied than typical squirrels.
Nests, Dreys, Burrows, and Tree Cavities
Tree squirrels often build leafy dreys high in branches or use tree cavities. If you see a leaf nest in a fork of branches, a tree squirrel is the likely builder.
Ground squirrels live in burrows. Flying squirrels also use tree cavities and may share nests, especially in colder weather.
Behavior Clues Such as Foraging, Caching, and Gliding
Tree squirrels often pause, sit upright, and carry nuts to caching spots. Ground squirrels spend more time scanning open ground and diving into burrows.
Flying squirrels reveal themselves through timing and movement. If an animal seems to vanish from one trunk and appear on another at dusk, the patagium may be doing the work even if you never see the full glide.
Diet, Habitat, and Ecological Role
Squirrels eat more than nuts, and their ecological role is larger than many people realize. When you watch where they feed and what they carry, you get useful clues about both identification and habitat.
What Squirrels Eat Beyond Nuts
Many squirrels eat seeds, acorns, walnuts, buds, berries, fungi, and green plant material. Some also take insects, bird eggs, and other small animal food when available.
The eastern gray squirrel, fox squirrel, and red squirrel all cache food. The southern flying squirrel and northern flying squirrel also eat fungi regularly, and the California ground squirrel may include more varied plant and animal matter than people expect.
Habitats From Forest Canopies to Grasslands
Tree squirrels are tied to wooded habitat, from suburban oaks to mature mixed forest. Ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, prairie dogs, and the groundhog occupy more ground-based settings such as fields, meadows, grasslands, rocky slopes, and forest edges.
You can often predict the species before you ever see it. In a city park with old hardwoods, expect gray or fox squirrels. In a dry roadside colony, think ground squirrels or prairie dogs.
Why Squirrels Matter in Ecosystems
Squirrels help move seeds and nuts across the landscape through caching. Forgotten food stores can support tree growth and forest regeneration.
They also serve as prey for hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes, and other predators. Some species, especially flying squirrels, help spread fungi that support forest health below the soil.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many squirrel species are there worldwide?
There are more than 280 squirrel species worldwide, depending on the taxonomic source used. They are spread across the Sciuridae family, which includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, flying squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, prairie dogs, and close relatives.
Which squirrel species are commonly found in New York State?
In New York State, you are most likely to see the eastern gray squirrel, fox squirrel in some areas, red squirrel, southern flying squirrel, northern flying squirrel, chipmunks, and groundhog. In many neighborhoods and parks, the eastern gray squirrel is the one you will encounter most often.
What squirrel species are found around Poughkeepsie and Wappingers Falls, NY?
Around Poughkeepsie and Wappingers Falls, you are most likely to see eastern gray squirrels, including black color morphs in some local areas, red squirrels in suitable wooded habitat, eastern chipmunks, and groundhogs. Southern flying squirrels may also be present in mature wooded areas, even if you rarely see them directly.
How can you identify common squirrel species using photos and markings?
Start with body shape, tail size, habitat, and posture, then use color and markings to confirm. Photos help most when they show the full animal, especially the tail, ear shape, belly color, striping in a chipmunk, or the larger size and rusty tones of a fox squirrel.
Which squirrel species are considered rare or unusual in the United States?
Species that feel unusual to many U.S. readers include Humboldt’s flying squirrel, Arizona gray squirrel, Abert’s squirrel, arctic ground squirrel, and some highly localized western ground squirrels. Black squirrels also draw attention, though they are often color morphs rather than separate species.
What do squirrels typically do to survive extremely cold winter weather?
Squirrels rely on food caches, sheltered nests, fat reserves, and reduced activity during severe weather. Tree squirrels stay active year-round, flying squirrels may share warm nest cavities, and many ground squirrels or marmot relatives use prolonged torpor or hibernation depending on the species.
