Delmarva Peninsula 

Fox Squirrel

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Habitat

Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrels live in

mature mixed pine and hardwood forests

along streams and marsh land and may also

occupy small woodlots near agricultural

fields. They prefer woodlots of mixed loblolly

pine and hardwoods such as oak, maple,

hickory and beech. These trees provide them

with food they like such as nuts and seeds.

Unlike the common gray squirrel that

frequently builds a nest of leaves high up 

on a branch, the Delmarva Peninsula fox

squirrel prefers to nest in tree cavities in

mature forests (both hardwood and pine

trees) with minimal understory and ground

cover. Occasionally however, it will build a

leaf nest. Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrels

feed heavily on nuts and seeds (mast)

primarily oak, hickory, walnut and loblolly

pine. During the spring, they feed on tree

buds and flowers and will also eat fungi,

insects, fruit and seeds. In the summer and

early fall, Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrels

feed on mature, green pine cones.

Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrels prefer woodlots of mixed hardwoods such as oak, maple,

hickory, beech and pine. These trees provide them with food they like such as nuts and seeds.

Unlike the common gray squirrel that builds a nest of leaves high up on a branch, the

Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel prefers to nest in tree cavities in mature forests both

hardwood and pine trees with minimal understory and ground cover. USFWS photo.

The Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel

(Sciurus niger cinereus) is named for the

geographic area defining most of it’s habitat

or range: the entire state of Delaware,

southern Pennsylvania and the peninsula of

Maryland and Virginia. While it was once

plentiful, the squirrel’s population dropped

so drastically that it became endangered.

Recovery efforts are helping to turn the tide,

and now the population is expanding. 

The largest of all the tree squirrels, the

Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel has heavy,

silver to whitish-gray slate hair and an

unusually full, fluffy tail and white belly. 

It can grow to 30 inches (with half of that

being tail) and can weigh 11

/2 to 3 pounds. 

The squirrel’s coat varies in color from 

frosty silver-gray to almost black.

Behavior

Although the Delmarva Peninsula fox

squirrel is a forest species, it prefers to

spend its time on the ground foraging for

food in woodlots and openings, such as farm

fields. It usually avoids confrontations by

running away rather than climbing up a tree;

however, fox squirrels will climb trees to

avoid predators. When moving from tree to

tree, the squirrels frequently descend down

the first tree to the ground then climb up the

second tree rather than leaping from tree to

tree. The squirrels mate in late winter and

early spring. About 44 days later in February

and March most young are born. Females

give birth to litters averaging one to four

young and raise the litters by themselves.

The squirrels can have up to two litters 

per year.

Imperiled Population

The Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel once

occupied the whole Delmarva Peninsula as

well as parts of southeastern Pennsylvania

and west-central New Jersey. By the early

1900s the population was reduced to only 

the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Predators 

of the squirrel, including red and gray foxes,

weasels, minks, eagles and other raptors,

also contributed to their mortality. Nestlings 

and young may be taken by raccoons, great

horned owls, opossums and black rat snakes.

Some accidental deaths by vehicles also

occur and occasionally Delmarva Peninsula

fox squirrels are misidentified and shot by

hunters. When the U.S. Fish & Wildlife

Service (Service) provided Endangered

Species Act protection for the squirrel in

1967, it occupied only four counties in

Maryland (Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot 

and Dorchester) less than 10 percent of its

historic range. Thanks to reintroduction

continued on back
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

http://www.fws.gov

April 1999

Recovery Efforts

Habitat restoration for the Delmarva

Peninsula fox squirrel began in 1945 when

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

purchased LeCompte Wildlife Management

Area in Dorchester County. Legal hunting

for the squirrel was banned in 1971.

Following the squirrels protection as an

endangered species in 1967, the Delmarva

Peninsula Fox Squirrel Recovery Team

began coordinating state and federal efforts

for the species’ restoration and protection.

The team launched a reintroduction program

to reestablish the squirrel throughout its

native range. Much of the squirrel’s occupied

habitat is privately owned lands. The

Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel also

receives additional protection through the

Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Law of 

1984, which requires endangered species

habitat protection within critical areas 

(1000 feet landward of low mean high tide).

The Future and You

The Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel can

have a bright future with a little help. The

successful recovery of the Delmarva

Peninsula fox squirrel depends on the

willingness of landowners to provide habitat

for these squirrels. Farmers can continue to

provide prime habitat for the squirrels.

Leaving uncut corn or soybeans along

hedgerows gives the squirrels food through

the winter. Developers can also assist with

conservation efforts by leaving desirable

woodlot trees intact (e.g., nut, seed and berry

producers) and by providing corridors from

one small woodlot to another. A buffer of

trees and hedgerows between streams and

development can also help the squirrels

survive. Citizens can build nest boxes and

place them in trees within the forest where

Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrels reside.

Efforts to recover the Delmarva Peninsula

fox squirrel will help protect not only the

squirrel, but also other species that depend

on the native forests of the Delmarva

Peninsula. One of the principal criteria of 

the species recovery is stability or expansion

of Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel

populations during a five-year period. Five

year monitoring data from several sites is

currently being analyzed. The sites include:

Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge;

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge;

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge;

Maryland’s Wye Island Natural Resource

Management Area; and LeCompte Wildlife

Management Area.

Using the GIS (Geographic Information

System), biologists will be able to identify

suitable habitat over a large area and

monitor land use near Delmarva Peninsula

fox squirrel habitat with the ultimate goal 

of recovering this species to a population

level that no longer require Endangered

Species Act protection.

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

During 1969–1971, 30 Delmarva Peninsula

fox squirrels were relocated to Chincoteague

National Wildlife Refuge and released in

habitat surrounding the historic Assateague

Lighthouse. Since the early 70’s, the

population of squirrels at Chincoteague

Refuge has reached 300–350, with 

new populations dispersing on their 

own throughout the southern portion of 

the refuge.

Refuge biologists conduct an annual fox

squirrel box check to monitor the population.

If a squirrel is found in a nest box, biologists

capture the squirrel with a holding device

and give it an ear tag. Each ear tag is

numbered and provides biologists with vital

information about the squirrels' sex, age, 

and whether or not the animal is a recapture.

Refuge biologists use this information to

monitor the status and trends of Delmarva

Peninsula fox squirrels and to alter their

management program when necessary.

Chincoteague Refuge’s long-range plan for

these squirrels is to maintain enough habitat

to support the current population with the

ultimate goal of transplanting part of the

Chincoteague populations to other suitable

habitats on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Photo by Michael Colopy

efforts by the Service, Maryland

Department of Natural Resources and 

other state wildlife agencies, the squirrel 

can now be found in all counties on the

Eastern Shore of Maryland and a few sites

in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Virginia. 

The primary cause of the Delmarva

Peninsula fox squirrels’ endangered status 

is habitat loss from agricultural and

residential development. Isolated woodlots

were encroached upon and the squirrel

became vulnerable.