Squirrels are one of the most diverse families of mammals, found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. Ohio hosts seven species, and all but one have made their appearance in my suburban backyard.

The southern flying squirrel is Ohio’s only flying squirrel, and is strictly nocturnal. If you have birdfeeders hanging from trees, sneak out on a breezeless evening when the sky is well past dark. If the feeders are moving, you have just interrupted a flying squirrel at dinner. Scan the tree with a powerful spotlight – it’s that hamster-like creature peeking around a large limb.

The largest Ohio squirrel is the woodchuck, whose fondness for fresh greens is the bane of every vegetable gardener. The eastern chipmunk is another ground squirrel with a penchant for horticultural mischief. Besides their extensive excavations, chipmunks enjoy harassing horticulturalists by eating flower bulbs, seedlings, and even corn and bean seeds. The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is the only Ohio squirrel that hasn’t visited my garden, but they are uncommon in the eastern third of the state.

The tree squirrel is the type that most folks consider “true” squirrels. Gray squirrels and fox squirrels are visually similar; the fox squirrel is slightly larger with a flatter head, while the gray squirrel is distinguished by the white tips of their tail hairs. The famous black squirrels at Kent State University can be found all around Ohio – they are an uncommon variant of the gray squirrel. Red squirrels are the smallest tree
squirrel, halfway between chipmunks and fox squirrels. They are typically forest dwellers, but occasionally appear in suburbia.

A red squirrel took up residence in my tool shed this past winter, filling flowerpots with walnuts and making a mess with twine, cardboard and other nesting materials. It was such a common sight that we named it Nutkin after the European red squirrel in the Beatrix Potter book. Come April, Nutkin became Mrs. Nutkin when we found her in a birdhouse with six babies. She weaned them in late May, but they still hang around the nestbox. Check this column in autumn for further developments.