Sciurus carolinensis

Also known as Eastern Gray Squirrel, Grey Squirrel, Cat Squirrel

Eastern grey squirrels are highly adaptable arboreal rodents famous for scatter-hoarding thousands of nuts each autumn to survive winter. Their acute spatial memory allows them to relocate hidden stashes months later, inadvertently planting millions of hardwood trees across eastern woodlands. They construct bulky leaf nests called dreys high in tree forks and communicate through twitching tails and sharp chatter calls.