The fox squirrel is the largest tree squirrel in North America, and in Oregon it is an eastern transplant. Of 2,716 state records, Lane County alone supplies 969, with Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas next, the core of an introduced population centered in the Willamette Valley, while a second cluster of records appears far to the northeast in Union and Baker counties.
A ground forager in open woods
Fox squirrels favor open woods and scattered big trees, parkland more than deep forest, and they spend more time foraging on the ground than most tree squirrels. The rust-colored belly and heavy, bushy tail make one easy to pick out. Records come from the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area and the Willamette River Greenway near the Columbia, from Mt. Hood National Forest at the valley’s edge, and from town parks and farm groves across the valley floor.
Busy springs, quiet summers
Fox squirrels bury nuts and seeds in scattered caches and stay active through every season. Oregon’s records crest in March and April, when the animals range widely for mates and leftover mast, sag in midsummer, and climb again toward December as caching picks up.
Status in Oregon
NatureServe marks the fox squirrel SNA in Oregon, not ranked, because the species is exotic in the state. Its established range here tracks the valleys and towns where it was released.
