Sometimes you go looking for birds and end up seeing … a Southern Fox Squirrel. That’s what happened to me back in late December when I visited Joe Overstreet Road in Osceola County.
I saw some motion on my right side and noticed a decent-sized dark brown animal. From its size and color, my first thought was that it was an otter. But after a second I realized it was a squirrel … a very big squirrel.
Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says Southern Fox Squirrels can be up to 27.6 inches and weight between 1 to 3 pounds. “This species has an overall color that varies from black to brown with a black head, white ears, and a white snout,” the FWC notes on its website. “Fox squirrels are known for their long bushy tails and their strong hind legs which enables them to leap far.”
After I posted pictures of the fox squirrel on Facebook, there were a lot of comments from folks about how they used to see them a lot here and there. Due to habitat loss, the number of Southern Fox Squirrels in Florida has fallen. The state changed its status from “a Species of Special Concern” in 2018 to “Imperiled.” It’s still listed as “rare” in Florida.
Here are some pictures of that rare squirrel and some birds from that cloudy day trip to Osceola County.
