The cute picture of a gray squirrel on the front page of the Nov. 30 Clark County section is most likely an Eastern gray squirrel and not a “Western gray squirrel” as identified in the caption. The Eastern gray, which was an introduced species of squirrel in the early 1900s, is the most common squirrel in the Portland metro area. The Western gray squirrel, a native of the Pacific Northwest, by contrast is a rare sight in oak-conifer woodlands in Klickitat and a couple of Puget Sound counties. In 1993 this native squirrel was listed as a threatened species in the state of Washington.
The Western gray is a shy squirrel that appears to be the loser in a battle with a rapidly expanding population of more aggressive Eastern gray squirrels.
Bob Sarvela
Brush Prairie
