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What the sources say

Eastern Gray SquirrelSciurus carolinensis

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Eastern Gray Squirrel profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 49 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

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Source
01

Animal Diversity Web

Sciurus carolinensis. Animal Diversity Web.

The page saysAn eastern North American tree squirrel
The source saysranges over the eastern United States to just west of the Mississippi River and north to CanadaNote: tagline
The page saysMature woodland, parks and suburbs of the eastern United States and Canada; introduced to Britain, Ireland and Italy
The source saysprefers habitats of mature continuous woodlands of greater than 40 hectaresNote: stats.habitat
The page saysintroduced to Britain, Ireland and Italy
The source saysIntroductions have occurred in the western states and some of Canada that was not previously inhabited, as well as in Italy, Scotland, England and Ireland.Note: stats.habitat
The page saysparks and suburbs
The source saysOther Habitat Features urban urban suburban suburbanNote: stats.habitat
The page saysMostly nuts, flowers and buds, plus fungi, insects, bird eggs and nestlings
The source saysfeeds mostly on nuts, flowers and buds of more than 24 species of oaksNote: stats.diet
The page saysfungi, insects, bird eggs and nestlings
The source saysInsects are eaten in the summer and are probably especially important for juveniles. Cannibalism has been reported, and squirrels may also eat bones, bird eggs and nestlingsNote: stats.diet; fungus listed under Other Foods
The page saysThey use scatter hoarding, hiding food in many small caches instead of one big pile, and they find the caches again using memory and smell.
The source saysThey bury food in winter caches using a method called scatter hoarding and locate these caches using both memory and smell.
The page saysTheir seed caching may also help spread tree seeds.
The source saysTheir seed-caching activities may help disperse tree seeds.
The page saysAn adult is a medium-sized tree squirrel.
The source saysSciurus carolinensis is a medium sized tree squirrel
The page saysIt measures 380 to 525 mm in total length, with a tail of 150 to 250 mm
The source saysThe total length of these squirrels ranges from 380 to 525 mm, tail length ranges from 150 to 250 mm
The page saysIts mass runs from 338 to 750 g, and the average is about 540 g.
The source saysRange mass 338 to 750 g 11.91 to 26.43 oz Average mass 540.33 g
The page saysAdult size comes at 9 months old.
The source saysAdult size and mass are reached at 9 months old.
The page saysPredators include bobcats, coyotes and red-tailed hawks.
The source saysEastern grey squirrels are preyed on by many predators, including American mink, other weasels, red foxes, bobcats, grey wolves, coyotes, lynx, and birds of prey, such as red-tailed hawks.
The page saysThey give warning calls, and their agility in the trees makes them hard to catch.
The source saysThey emit warning calls to warn neighboring squirrels of the presence of predators. Their extreme agility in the trees makes them difficult to capture.
The page saysThey nest in a ball of leaves and twigs, or a tree den
The source saysSquirrels occupy two types of homes, including a permanent tree den as well as a nest of leaves and twigs on a tree crotch
The page saysNuts lead the menu, along with flowers and buds, from more than 24 oak species, 10 hickory species, and pecan, walnut and beech trees
The source saysfeeds mostly on nuts, flowers and buds of more than 24 species of oaks, 10 species of hickory, pecan, walnut and beech tree species
The page saysinsects in summer, and sometimes bird eggs and nestlings
The source saysInsects are eaten in the summer ... squirrels may also eat bones, bird eggs and nestlings
The page saysIts native home stretches across the eastern United States, a little beyond the Mississippi to the west, and up into Canada.
The source saysranges over the eastern United States to just west of the Mississippi River and north to Canada
The page saysDark, melanistic squirrels are common in the north of that range.
The source saysMelanism is common in the northern portions of the range
The page saysThe species has also been introduced to Italy, Scotland, England and Ireland.
The source saysas well as in Italy, Scotland, England and Ireland
The page saysNose to tail tip, an adult is 380 to 525 mm long, and it weighs between 338 and 750 g.
The source saysThe total length of these squirrels ranges from 380 to 525 mm ... Range mass 338 to 750 g
The page saysGray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) bury food in winter caches.
The source saysThey bury food in winter caches using a method called scatter hoarding
The page saysIt measures 380 to 525 mm in total length
The source saysThe total length of these squirrels ranges from 380 to 525 mm
The page sayswith a tail of 150 to 250 mm
The source saystail length ranges from 150 to 250 mm
The page saysIts mass runs from 338 to 750 g
The source saysRange mass 338 to 750 g
The page saysThe average is about 540 g
The source saysAverage mass 540.33 g
The page saysweightKg: 0.54
The source saysAverage mass 540.33 gNote: task #1246; ADW average adult mass. Light class (0.1 to 10 kg); the name guess would have been Medium.

Source
02

Human Ageing Genomic Resources, AnAge

AnAge entry for Sciurus carolinensis. Human Ageing Genomic Resources, AnAge.

The page sayslists 23.6 years in captivity as the maximum, though it rates the sample size as small
The source saysMaximum longevity 23.6 years (captivity) Source ref. 671 Sample size Small
The page saysThe record in AnAge is 23.6 years, set by a squirrel in captivity, and the database marks the sample behind it as small.
The source saysMaximum longevity 23.6 years (captivity) Source ref. 671 Sample size Small

Source
03

Natural History Museum, London

Squirrels in the UK: What they're up to, when and why. Natural History Museum, London.

The page sayshas been known to dig empty cache holes when other squirrels are around
The source saysWhen other squirrels are around, they'll dig and cover some cache sites without actually burying any food in them.Note: tagline
The page saysnow far outnumbers the native red squirrel in the UK
The source saysaround 140,000 red squirrels and a whopping 2.5 million grey squirrels living in the UKNote: tagline
The page saysKnown to dig decoy caches, covering holes with no food in them, when other squirrels are around
The source saysWhen other squirrels are around, they'll dig and cover some cache sites without actually burying any food in them.Note: stats.superpower
The page saysspreading the stash out is thought to reduce the damage when another squirrel steals from it
The source saysthey hide their foraged food across a wide area. It's thought this reduces the impact of cache pilferage on the forager's winter supplies. This is where another squirrel takes food it didn't collect itself.
The page saysWith other squirrels nearby, greys have been known to dig a cache hole and cover it again with nothing buried inside.
The source saysGrey squirrels have been known to use deceptive tactics to protect their supplies. When other squirrels are around, they'll dig and cover some cache sites without actually burying any food in them.
The page saysThe museum says this may act as a distraction that keeps carefully foraged food from being stolen right away.
The source saysDeceptive caching may serve as a distraction, preventing carefully foraged food from being stolen immediately by other squirrels.
The page saysdo not hibernate
The source saysSquirrels don't hibernate. Red and grey squirrels are active during the day, all year round.
The page saysThe museum calls squirrels opportunistic feeders.
The source saysThey're opportunistic feeders.
The page saysabout 2.5 million grey squirrels against around 140,000 red squirrels
The source saysThe Wildlife Trusts estimate there to be around 140,000 red squirrels and a whopping 2.5 million grey squirrels living in the UK.
The page saysGreys were introduced from North America, possibly as early as the 1870s
The source saysThis species is from North America and was introduced to the UK, possibly as early as the 1870s.
The page saysThey win a bigger share of the food than reds, steal from their caches
The source saysGrey squirrels take a larger share of available food, steal from red squirrels' food caches
The page sayscan carry squirrelpox virus, which greys resist but which can infect and kill reds
The source saysThey can carry disease such as the squirrelpox virus, which greys are resistant to but can infect and kill red squirrels.
The page saysThe museum says they have displaced the native red squirrel in the UK and parts of Europe.
The source sayshave displaced the native squirrel population in the UK and parts of Europe
The page saysRather than keeping one larder, they scatter food across a wide area. According to the Natural History Museum, the thinking is that this limits how much of the winter supply is lost when another squirrel raids a cache.
The source saysSquirrels don't use a single central larder. Instead, they hide their foraged food across a wide area. It's thought this reduces the impact of cache pilferage on the forager's winter supplies.
The page saysGrey squirrels were brought to the UK from North America, possibly from the 1870s. The museum lists three ways they hurt reds: they eat more of the shared food, they raid red squirrels' stores, and they can pass on squirrelpox, a virus that can kill reds while greys resist it.
The source saysThis species is from North America and was introduced to the UK, possibly as early as the 1870s. They directly compete with red squirrels. Grey squirrels take a larger share of available food, steal from red squirrels' food caches ... They can carry disease such as the squirrelpox virus, which greys are resistant to but can infect and kill red squirrels.
The page saysare now far more common in most areas
The source saysgrey squirrels, which are not native to the UK, are now far more common in most areas
The page sayshiding food in many small caches instead of one big pile
The source saysSquirrels don't use a single central larder. Instead, they hide their foraged food across a wide area.
The page saysThen comes the trick, which the museum calls deceptive caching.
The source saysDeceptive caching may serve as a distraction
The page saysWith other squirrels nearby, greys have been known to dig a cache hole and cover it again with nothing buried inside
The source saysGrey squirrels have been known to use deceptive tactics to protect their supplies. When other squirrels are around, they'll dig and cover some cache sites without actually burying any food in them.Note: vibe.reason

Source
04

Cassola 2018

Cassola (2018). Sciurus carolinensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T42462A276917738.

The page saysLeast Concern
The source saysIUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC).Note: stats.conservationStatus; GBIF copy of the Red List checked against taxon 42462

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.