You’ll spot squirrels everywhere—parks, backyards, trails. Some are tiny and dart around, like red squirrels. Others, like fox and gray squirrels, seem bigger and bolder. Curious about which types you’re seeing and how to tell them apart? This guide’s got you covered with quick ID tips and info about where each species hangs out.
Keep this guide handy when you head outside. You’ll be able to match the squirrel you see to its species by checking out key traits like size, color, and behavior.
You’ll also get a sense of which ones hang around homes and which stick to the woods.
Overview of Squirrel Types in the US
Dozens of squirrel species live across the United States. You’ll find tree-dwellers, ground squirrels, and a few that glide from branch to branch.
A lot of them live close to people—in lawns, parks, and forests. Each group has its own habits, food preferences, and ways to spot them.
Tree Squirrels
Tree squirrels show up in cities and forests all over. You’ll probably run into Eastern Gray, Fox, Western Gray, or Abert’s squirrels. They spend most of their lives up in the trees, using branches and building nests called dreys or hiding out in tree cavities.
They love nuts, seeds, buds, and sometimes they’ll raid your bird feeder. Watch for bushy tails, quick jumps, and bark shredded around nests.
Tree squirrels hide nuts in lots of spots, which actually helps forests by spreading seeds. Some species come in different colors—gray, red, or black—depending on where you are.
Their behavior shifts with the seasons. They breed in spring and fall, and you’ll notice more food-hoarding in autumn. For more details on backyard species and where they live, check out this practical guide to squirrels in the United States.
Ground Squirrels
Ground squirrels stick to life on or under the ground. You’ll see species like the California ground squirrel, the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, plus prairie dogs and marmots in the wider squirrel family.
They dig burrows with tunnels for sleeping, storing food, and escaping danger. These squirrels munch on seeds, grasses, roots, and insects.
You’ll often catch them standing on mounds or fence posts, keeping an eye out for predators. Many ground squirrels hibernate or slow down in winter, while prairie dogs keep their social colonies going all year.
They shape open habitats by digging and grazing. Their burrows help aerate the soil, but sometimes they clash with farmers or people who want tidy lawns. If you want a bigger list of North American ground squirrels and marmots, see this complete North American squirrel guide.
Flying Squirrels
Flying squirrels don’t really fly—they glide. The main North American species are the Northern, Southern, and Humboldt’s flying squirrels.
They use a stretchy skin membrane (patagium) between their legs to glide 20 to 150 feet. You probably won’t spot them during the day.
Look for them at dusk near tree holes or nest boxes. They eat fungi, nuts, seeds, and insects.
Flying squirrels sometimes share nests in winter to stay warm. They’re small, soft-furred, and have big eyes for night vision.
Some populations struggle with habitat loss since they need old trees with cavities. If you’re curious about flying squirrel differences, there’s good research and guides out there to help you spot them in your area.
Chipmunks and Marmots
Chipmunks and marmots belong to the bigger squirrel family (Sciuridae), but they’re pretty different in size and habits.
Chipmunks, like the Eastern Chipmunk and Least Chipmunk, are small, striped, and fast. They dig complicated burrows and sometimes hibernate.
Marmots, such as hoary marmots and groundhogs, are big and chunky. They live in burrows in the mountains or open country and eat grasses, flowers, and leaves.
Both chipmunks and marmots act as ecosystem engineers. Chipmunks move seeds and help aerate soil, while marmots dig burrows that other animals end up using. If you want to compare a bunch of species across habitats, try this overview of North American squirrel diversity.
Common Squirrel Species Found in the US
You’ll run into lots of squirrel species in cities, forests, and even deserts. Each one has its own look, favorite foods, and places it likes to live.
Eastern Gray Squirrel
The Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) lives in eastern U.S. woods and plenty of suburbs. You’ll spot it in parks and yards, climbing trees, raiding bird feeders, and hiding acorns.
Adults weigh about 14 to 21 ounces and usually have gray fur with white bellies. Sometimes you’ll see brown or black ones.
You can pick this species out by its long, bushy tail and rounded ears. It nests in leafy dreys or tree holes and, in good years, raises two litters.
Its main foods are nuts, seeds, buds, and sometimes eggs or fungi.
Fox Squirrel
The Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) is North America’s biggest tree squirrel. You’ll see it in open woods, oak savannas, and city parks from the eastern U.S. into the Midwest and South.
Adults weigh anywhere from 1 to 3 pounds and show colors from reddish to gray or nearly black. Fox squirrels spend more time on the ground than some other tree squirrels.
They forage on the ground for acorns, walnuts, and seeds. They build leaf nests in branches, but sometimes use tree cavities too.
Watch for their boldness around people and bird feeders.
American Red Squirrel
The American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) prefers conifer forests in Canada and the northern U.S.
It’s smaller—about 7 to 10 ounces—and has a bright reddish coat with a white belly. You’ll often hear it defending its territory.
Red squirrels store cones in big piles called middens. They mostly eat conifer seeds, but will also take fungi, berries, and bird eggs.
They’re pretty vocal and don’t hesitate to chase off intruders. Their scattered caches and middens help them get through winter.
Western Gray Squirrel
The Western Gray Squirrel (Sciurus griseus) calls oak and mixed forests along the Pacific Coast home. You’ll see a big squirrel with slate-gray fur and a pale belly, sometimes with long ear tufts in winter.
Adults weigh about 1 to 1.5 pounds and stick to mature oak woodlands. They eat acorns, seeds, buds, and fungi.
You’ll find them nesting in tree holes or leafy dreys. Some populations have dropped because of habitat loss and competition from Eastern Gray Squirrels, so you’re more likely to find them in less urbanized oak forests.
Abert’s Squirrel
Abert’s Squirrel (Sciurus aberti) hangs out in ponderosa pine forests in the Southwest. You’ll recognize it by its ear tufts and long tail.
Its fur goes from gray-brown to more reddish in winter. It depends a lot on ponderosa pine seeds, bark, and buds.
This squirrel usually stays up in the canopy and rarely comes down. You’ll find its nests high in trees or tucked in cavities, mostly in pine stands.
Southern Flying Squirrel
The Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans) is small, nocturnal, and pretty cute if you get a look at one. It has big eyes, a gliding membrane between its limbs, and soft gray-brown fur.
It ranges across the eastern U.S. and nests in tree holes or nest boxes. You’ll usually spot it at night, gliding between trees to eat nuts, insects, fruits, and fungi.
They stash food and sometimes share nests for warmth in winter. Most of their glides are less than a few dozen meters.
Northern Flying Squirrel
The Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus) lives in cooler, mature forests in the northern U.S., Pacific Northwest, and Canada.
You’ll find it in old-growth and mixed-conifer woods where fungi and lichen are everywhere. It’s bigger than the southern species and eats a lot of fungi.
This glider sticks to the night and nests in tree holes or old woodpecker cavities. You might only notice it by its nighttime calls or scratch marks near holes.
It helps spread fungal spores throughout the forest.
Humboldt’s Flying Squirrel
Humboldt’s Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys oregonensis) lives in the Pacific Northwest and parts of northern California.
You’ll find it in cool, damp forests with dense canopies and old trees full of cavities. It looks a lot like other flying squirrels but has traits that fit the west coast.
It glides from tree to tree to find seeds, fungi, and insects. It often shares nest sites and might stay active in winter when other small mammals hunker down.
Try looking for it around dusk or by checking older forests with lots of cavities.
California Ground Squirrel
The California Ground Squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi) lives in open habitats in California, Oregon, Nevada, and nearby states.
You’ll see these medium-sized ground squirrels digging burrows in fields, parks, and slopes. Their fur is mottled gray-brown, and adults weigh about 12 to 20 ounces.
They eat seeds, grasses, flowers, and insects, and often stand on their hind legs to watch for danger. Their burrows give them shelter from heat and predators, and they live in pretty complex social groups.
Sometimes, farmers consider them pests if they damage crops or landscaping.
Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel
The Thirteen-Lined Ground Squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) hangs out in central U.S. grasslands and sometimes even in people’s lawns.
You’ll notice its striped and spotted back, plus its small size—usually about 5 to 9 ounces.
It likes open, short-grass spots where it digs its own shallow burrows for nesting or hibernating.
This squirrel munches on seeds, insects, plant material, and sometimes even small rodents.
When winter rolls in, it hibernates and relies on the fat it stored up.
You might catch one darting across a mown field or popping its head up near a burrow entrance.
