The Eastern Gray Squirrel is a tree squirrel that is gray with a reddish tinge to its fur with a white belly and large bushy tail. It is native to the eastern regions of North America. Commonly found in forest ecosystems, the woodlands provide the squirrel with abundant food and shelter. They can be seen foraging along the trail for their food supply, consisting of nuts, seeds, fruits, bulbs, flowers, and insects. They hoard their food in small caches for later recovery. Their nests, made with dry leaves and twigs, can be found in the forks of trees. These squirrels can live up to 12 years in the wild, and like to avoid the heat during the day, making them most active 2 hours after sunrise and 5 hours before sunset. The eastern grey squirrel plays an important role in this ecosystem. There hoarding methods allow for the distribution of tree seeds, they are important predator of seeds, and can be hosts to numerous parasites.