where did grey squirrels come from
Grey squirrels originally come from eastern North America, and were later taken by people to places like the UK and parts of Europe where they are now very common. In North America they are usually called eastern gray squirrels and the “grey squirrel” seen in Britain is this same species (Sciurus carolinensis).
North American origins
- The eastern gray squirrel’s natural range covers eastern North America, especially hardwood forests in regions such as the Carolinas and surrounding states.
- The scientific name Sciurus carolinensis refers to the Carolinas, where the species was first recorded.
How they reached Europe and the UK
- Grey squirrels were deliberately introduced into England in the late 1800s, with one key documented introduction around 1876 as an ornamental species on estates and in parks.
- From these early releases, and further human introductions, populations spread across most of Great Britain during the early to mid‑20th century.
Invasive status and spread
- In Europe and the UK, grey squirrels are considered an invasive alien species because they did not evolve there and have caused ecological problems.
- Genetic studies suggest many distant populations came from repeated human releases and translocations, rather than squirrels slowly marching across the landscape on their own.
Deep evolutionary background
- Squirrels as a group evolved tens of millions of years ago, with ancestors appearing roughly 25 million years ago and diversifying into tree and ground‑dwelling forms.
- The specific evolutionary origin of the modern gray squirrel lineage is tied to North American rodent ancestors, though the exact pathway to today’s species is not fully resolved.
So, when people ask “where did grey squirrels come from?” the short modern answer is eastern North America , and their presence in places like the UK is mainly the result of human introductions in the last 150 years.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.