Delmarva Squirrel

The Delmarva Squirrel is an arboreal animal that lives primarily in smaller woodlands of big trees with open under areas. It does not like dense underbrush and will avoid those because of the competition with the gray squirrel.

It is a great deal like the gray squirrel, but has larger teeth. The Delmarva Fox can grow to be about 20 inches long, with another ten inches added by the addition of its lush tail which can be as much as 15 inches long. It weighs about 3 pounds.

The Delmarva can be found in lowland swampy areas and narrow tree rows or hedgerows, along streams and rivers.

Delmarva Fox Squirrel

Most often it will be seen in mixed forests that include hickory, oak and walnut trees.
The range of this animal was from southern Pennsylvania into New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia however today it exists primarily in Maryland and the Chincoteaque National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia.

Delmarva’s were absent from Pennsylvania for the better part of this century or longer. They were replaced there from Maryland to a site in Chester County several years ago.

Delmarva fox squirrel will often den in tree cavities and dead trees but dens mostly in the winter. He will build leaf nests more commonly in the summer.

In summer they will feed on tree buds and flowers but may also eat insects, fungi on trees and fruit and seeds.

They prefer to make their den in a hollow of a tree but will make nests in summer of massive piles of leaves and sticks in the crotch of trees where the limbs meet, or in vines on the trunk.

Fox Squirrels mate in late winter and early spring.

Gestation is about 45 days and most young squirrels are born in February, March and April. Litters average one to six young.

Delmarva fox squirrel females raise the young alone. Females may begin to breed at 10 to 11 months. Older females may breed twice a year, while yearlings breed only once. The normal litter size is 3 or 4 young.

Food availability seems to govern the size and number of litters. Her young are born blind and furless.

The eyes open at about 5 weeks and they are weaned by twelve weeks.
Young are born naked and blind. Eyes open at 5 weeks and weaning takes place at 9 to 12 weeks.

The Delmarva fox squirrel is not sensitive to human interference and will not leave the young because they have been handled but will moved the little ones to another nest site.
Find out more about the Delmarva Fox Squirrel over at Wikipedia »