U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Delmarva Peninsula Fox Squirrel Sciurus niger cinereus

In the world of North American squirrels, commercial property have continued to than leaping between trees. Delmarva there are tree squirrels, ground squirrels diminish the amount of wooded land where Peninsula fox squirrels eat nuts and seeds, and flying squirrels, plus chipmunks and this fox squirrel can live. and prefer woodlots of oak, hickory, beech, prairie dogs. Tree squirrels are larger than walnut, sweetgum and loblolly pine, which the others, and fox squirrels are the largest Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrels can grow all provide food. These squirrels also feed of the native tree squirrels. Among fox to 30 inches, half of which is tail, and up to in open agricultural fields adjacent to squirrels, the largest, and rarest, is the three pounds, which makes them twice the woodlots. Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel. size of the common gray squirrel. Although Historically, it lived from west-central and fox squirrels in the Midwest are a tawny Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrels nest in southern New Jersey to southern brown, Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrels cavities in mature trees, but will also make Pennsylvania and the entire peninsula east are silver to slate gray with a white belly. nests of leaves and twigs in the crotches of of the Chesapeake Bay that includes Their rounded ears and white feet also trees or at the ends of large branches. Delaware and parts of Maryland and distinguish them from gray squirrels. Shy Mating occurs in late winter; young are Virginia, known as the Delmarva Peninsula. and quiet, Delmarva Peninsula fox born about 44 days later. The litter size is squirrels are only active during the day; one to six, and females raise their young by However, when Delmarva Peninsula fox they are non-territorial and do not themselves. The young are weaned and squirrel was given Endangered Species Act hibernate, although their activity decreases independent at about eight weeks. protection in 1967, it occupied only four with cold or inclement weather. counties in Maryland, or less than 10 The state of Maryland made the first effort percent of its former range. Habitat loss is Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrels live in to conserve Delmarva Peninsula fox the primary cause of this subspecies’ mature forests of mixed pine and hardwood squirrels in 1945, with the purchase of the endangered status. Harvesting timber and trees with little understory and ground LeCompte Wildlife Management Area as a converting forested land to agriculture cover. Unlike their gray squirrel cousins, refuge. After the squirrel received reduced much of the habitat early in the these fox squirrels spend considerable time Endangered Species Act protection in 1967, 20th century; more recent land conversions foraging on the ground and usually run a recovery team of scientists formed from to residential developments, roads and along the ground from tree to tree rather the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the states of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, and universities to coordinate efforts to protect and restore the species.

Thirty squirrels brought to Chicoteague National Wildlife Refuge between 1969 to 1971 established a population that now numbers in the hundreds, with squirrels dispersing on their own in new populations throughout the refuge. The recovery team began a program to reestablish the species within its former range and reintroduced squirrels at several sites throughout the 1980s. Most of these sites now support reproducing Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrels. S W

F Blackwater and Chincoteague national S U / wildlife refuges provide some suitable fox r e t

s squirrel habitat on public land, but b e Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrels also live W d

r on privately owned lands. The squirrel’s a h

c habitat requirements allow conservation i R measures to coexist with many agricultural © by leaving uncut corn or soybeans along Northeast Region hedgerows for the squirrels’ winter food. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Developers can leave woodlot trees that 300 Westgate Center Drive produce nuts, seeds and berries, and can Hadley, MA 01035 provide corridors from one woodlot to 413/253 8200 another. Developers can also help fox http://northeast.fws.gov squirrels survive by leaving buffers of trees and hedgerows between streams and Federal Relay Service development. for the deaf and hard-of-hearing 1 800/877 8339 Cooperation is key in restoring Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrels. The efforts of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service federal, state and local governments, http://www.fws.gov conservation groups and private 1 800/344 WILD landowners have helped stop the imminent August 2006 and forestry land management practices. loss of this species. Continuing our Landowners can enjoy the use of their land cooperative work can ensure that the while providing habitat for this endangered Delmarva Peninsula remains home to its species. Farmers can provide prime habitat fox squirrel namesake for years to come.