Texas Fox Squirrel

At dawn the large Live Oak tree just outside our front door comes alive with activity.

I counted no fewer than eight squirrels busying themselves with the task of foraging for breakfast among the branches. They never stopped except once, when I coughed. Upon hearing me cough, they suddenly stopped dead in their tracks, motionless except for the simultaneous twitching of their tails which continued for about 10 seconds. As suddenly as they had stopped what they were doing, they simultaneously resumed their frantic foraging. Strange!


There are three types of tree-dwelling squirrel species in Texas. The Texas Fox Squirrel, Sciurus niger limitis, is the most common and widely distributed, found in all but far South and extreme West Texas.

Typically, the Texas Fox Squirrel is gray or brownish on the upper parts of the body with rusty or buff colored underparts. The feet are cinnamon and the tail is black and cinnamon. However, there are considerable variations in color: some are almost totally black (I have a photo of one which I will post later) and others pure white.

These squirrels live in 3" openings of hardwood trees such as oaks. Acorns and nuts are their favorite food which they eat 9-10 months of the year. Late winter and early spring force them to seek out other food sources such as seeds, buds, fruits, mushrooms, roots, tubers, and flowers.

Squirrels also store up acorns and nuts by burying them. Over the course of three months one squirrel can bury several thousand! A keen sense of smell will help in finding them when winter comes and food is scarce.

Feral hogs consume large quantities of mast (nuts of trees accumulated on the ground) in short periods of time and therefore directly compete with squirrels for food.

Squirrels use their tails for more than just helping with balance. In summer they may use their tail to block the sun. In cold weather they wrap their tales around their head for warmth.