Did you know there are very common squirrel species found in our Michigan backyards? I should know, I deal with them all of the time.

Not only is my neighborhood loaded with squirrels, so is my backyard. I see quite a few squirrels lurking around and making plenty of holes in my backyard. Brown squirrels, black squirrels and even a few white squirrels.

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So what are they doing in my backyard? They're living the squirrel dream. They wander around looking for food, running and jumping on my newly built deck, and even walking along my backyard fence. I will say that squirrels are very entertaining to watch.

How many common squirrel species are found in our Michigan backyards? The answer is three and possibly four.

According to whenlifeisgood.com:

  • Fox squirrels
  • Eastern gray squirrels (includes black variations)
  • American red squirrels
  • Southern flying squirrel

Each species prefers its own habitat, and each has its own characteristic behaviors. Since our yard features a nice open lawn with a few trees, but also borders on a more heavily wooded area, we see different squirrel species that prefer different habitat niches.

The most common squirrels in our neighborhood are the fox squirrels. They can actually be over 2 feet long and they also can be found in many wooded area throughout Michigan.

Did you know that there are flying squirrels in Michigan. I've never seen one but I can tell you that flying squirrels are very cute. Courtesy of when lifeisgood.com:

I didn’t know there were flying squirrels in MIchigan until recently! The southern flying squirrel is nocturnal, so very few of us ever see this little squirrel. Pest control companies in the area know about them though, since they sometimes take up residence in buildings, entering through very small gaps. These cute little squirrels are about 7 inches long and weigh just a couple ounces.

Here's a famous squirrel scene from the movie "Christmas Vacation."

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

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