Delmarva Fox Squirrel: A foxy squirrel indeed

A while back, I posted an image of a sensational rodent, the Delmarva Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger cinereus), HERE. Seeing this jumbo was high on my list on a trip to the Delmarva Peninsula region of Maryland and Virginia. I met with much success, and here is a bit more of a pictorial essay on the handsome beast.

Here's an Ohio specimen of the Fox Squirrel, and it's a fine-looking mammal. The largest of our tree squirrels, it is distinctive with those bright orangish tones in the pelage. I made this image on February 15 of this year in Lorain County, Ohio.Here's the Delmarva Fox Squirrel, a different subspecies of the aforementioned Fox Squirrel which is markedly different in appearance. It's every bit as large if not larger and is characterized by its stunning silvery fur. Note the little stub ears. This one is eating the remnants of a pinecone, in much the manner that someone would eat a cob of corn.I'm forever looking closely at snags in the hopes of seeing a roosting owl, and that's how I noticed this squirrel. It was cold on this morning, and he was sunbathing. Note how the pelage looks whitish. Could be just the way that the light was striking it, or it may be an older animal.
As part of the recovery plan for the formerly federally endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrel, nest boxes like this were placed in suitable habitats to provide additional nest and roosting sites. I saw a number of these boxes at Chincoteague. The squirrels take readily to them, and the animal sunbathing in the previous photo was using this box.The Delmarva Fox Squirrel was included on the federal governments inaugural list of endangered species, released in 1967. This distinctive and charismatic subspecies once ranged commonly throughout the Delmarva Peninsula region, including parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Primarily due to habitat loss, the population contracted to the point that perhaps only 10% of its original population remained.I spent a lot of time quietly observing the squirrels, thoroughly impressed with their size and beauty. It was also interesting to see firsthand their behavior and diversity of diet. The woodlands that I saw them in had plenty of greenbrier (Smilax sp.) and this relative of the Lily Family (Liliaceae) still had many fruits clinging to the thorny stems. That's what this squirrel is noshing on, and I saw others eating greenbrier fruit.