Ever wondered if those bushy-tailed climbers actually roam Australian parks? Australia doesn’t have any native squirrel species, and the only introduced squirrels from the late 1800s disappeared from the wild ages ago.
Let’s dig into where people tried to introduce squirrels, why they never stuck around, and which Aussie animals get mistaken for squirrels all the time.
Stick with me for a quick look at the squirrel introduction experiments and the marsupials and gliders that now fill those treetop roles across the country.
The Reality of Squirrels in Australia
Let’s clear it up: squirrels don’t live wild in Australia these days. People tried to introduce them in a few spots, but none of those populations really lasted.
You’ll find old reports of squirrels popping up in cities, but those usually came from zoo or pet escapes—not from established wild groups. These days, a wild squirrel sighting is pretty much unheard of and usually links back to a historical release or a captive colony.
If you’re out walking in Australia, you’re way more likely to spot a possum or a gliding marsupial than a real squirrel.
Are There Squirrels in Australia?
Australia doesn’t have any native squirrels. The continent’s mammals evolved on a different path, so true squirrels (family Sciuridae) never found a home here.
People have recorded a few non-native squirrels in the past, mostly after pets or zoo animals escaped. These little groups never spread far, and most faded away quickly.
Today, any squirrel you see is probably in a zoo or maybe an old, isolated colony—definitely not running wild in the bush.
History of Squirrel Introductions
Back in the late 1800s and early 1900s, people brought squirrels to Australia, usually from zoos or private collections. They released small groups in places like Victoria and South Australia.
Once folks realized these animals could threaten local plants and wildlife, they set out to remove the populations. By the early 1900s, most of these efforts worked, though a few colonies near zoos hung on for a while.
You can check out a more detailed rundown of these introductions and their locations in this squirrels in Australia overview.
Squirrel Species Brought to Australia
Two species come up the most: the North American grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and the northern palm squirrel (Funambulus spp.). Grey squirrels turned up near Melbourne and Adelaide between the 1880s and 1910s. Palm squirrels showed up closer to Perth a bit later.
Grey squirrels eat nuts and seeds, and they can damage native trees and compete with birds for food. Palm squirrels are smaller, eat fruit and insects, and can handle city life pretty well. Wildlife managers focused on removing both, since they threatened native species and could spread disease.
If you want the nitty-gritty on where these squirrels appeared and what happened to them, the history above and that link have all the details.
Australia’s Native ‘Squirrels’: What Lives Here Instead?
You won’t find real tree squirrels in Australia. Instead, a bunch of small, tree-dwelling marsupials and native rodents climb, forage, and nest in hollows—pretty much filling the same roles.
Squirrel Glider and Native Gliders
The squirrel glider is a little nocturnal marsupial with a skin flap for gliding between trees. You’ll spot it in eucalypt forests from southeast Queensland through New South Wales and into Victoria.
It eats sap, nectar, insects, and seeds, so you’ll usually find it hanging around flowering gums and mature woods. Squirrel gliders nest in tree hollows, living in family groups and sharing nests for warmth and protection.
Their biggest threat? Habitat loss and fragmentation. You’ll see them more often where woodlands are intact or at least connected by corridors.
Possums: Brushtail and Common Brushtail Possum
The brushtail possum—yeah, that’s the one you see everywhere—is one of the most familiar tree-dwellers in both towns and bushland. It’s bigger than gliders and only comes out at night.
You’ll find these guys in tree hollows, your roof, or thick shrubs across much of Australia. They eat leaves, fruit, flowers, and even raid the odd rubbish bin for scraps.
Females raise their young in hollows. These possums do well in cities, but they still need big old trees with hollows for breeding. If you want to help them out, keep mature native trees and don’t remove hollows.
Brush-tailed Phascogale
The brush-tailed phascogale is a tiny, carnivorous marsupial that hunts insects and small animals up in the trees. You’ll find it in dry forests and woodlands, especially where there are hollow-bearing trees.
It’s super light and crazy agile on branches. This species faces threats from habitat loss, fire, and competition with introduced animals.
Males only live for one breeding season, so the population relies on good habitat and predator control to bounce back. Nest boxes and protecting woodlands can make a real difference for these little guys.
Rodents in Australia
Australia has a surprising number of native rodents. Most of them stick to the ground or hang out in low plants, not up high in the treetops.
You’ll spot bush rats, heath mice, and hopping mice in grasslands, shrubland, and along the edges of forests. These little guys munch on seeds, fruit, and insects. They help spread seeds around, which is actually pretty important for the ecosystem.
A few native rodents will climb onto low branches, but honestly, none of them live in trees the way gliders do. They don’t have the gliding skills or the size of possums either.
In cities, you might run into black rats and other introduced rodents. They’re not filling the same roles as native tree-dwelling marsupials, though.
If you want to support local wildlife, try to protect understorey plants, and leave fallen logs or hollow trees where they are. It makes a difference.
