A Rapid Technique for Aging Gray Squirrels in Winter Pelage

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Abstract
The guard hairs and underfur in the lateral rump region of the gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) are characteristically marked by combinations of black, yellow, and white bands in the non-melanistic forms. During the course of a 10-year study involving over 2500 marked gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis carolinensis Gmelin) it was discovered that animals in the winter coat could be separated into nestling, juvenile, subadult, and adult age-classes on the basis of pelage characters. The nestling pelage is soft, woolly, dull in appearance; there is no evidence of a body molt, and a white terminal band extends at least 1/3 the length of the tail hair. Juvenile pelage shows evidence of a body molt and at least some five-banded, black-tipped nestling guard hairs remain in the lateral rump region. In adults and subadults the white-tipped guard hairs of the lateral rump region are four-banded. When the hair of the adult pelage is parted there appears to be a distinct yellowish band in the basal area; in the subadult the band is diffuse or indistinct. From 80 to 95% of squirrels captured in the fall and winter could be correctly aged by use of a key based on these pelage characters.

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