Big squirrel, not Big Foot, in north Florida[Fox Squirrel]

AP ^ | 16 Nov 2007 | AP

[BGHater]

MACCLENNY, Fla. (AP) — State wildlife officials say an animal sneaking around Baker County is not an orangutan as originally thought but likely a fox squirrel.

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission laid doughnuts at a base of a tree after residents reported seeing a — quote — “big orange ball of fur.”

Fish and Wildlife investigator Ken Holmes says the animal was probably an orange phase fox squirrel.

The Florida Times-Union reports the red-orange animals can grow to be about two feet tall and can climb in trees. (Copyright 2007 by

[BGHater]

WTF, The Florida Fish and Wildlife can't tell the difference between a monkey and a squirrel?

Anyway, as they say, all cats are gray at night.

Related story: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1925422/posts

Recent Squirrely business in Florida: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1925436/posts

[Atchafalaya]

Guess I better leave my .22 home and bring a .30 cal next time I go squirrel hunting in Baker Co.

[blam]

Fox Squirrel

[mainerforglobalwarming]

I keep thinking of the line from the Holy Grail, run away, run away!

[CarrotAndStick]

In India, there is a species of squirrels, the Giant Malabar squirrel. It's larger than a domestic cat, and often with a red coat of fur. Perhaps someone let one of these loose there?

[cripplecreek]

The picture I saw didn’t look like any squirrel I’ve ever seen and I see plenty of them.

[skinkinthegrass]

LOL!...Donuts?
....its a wonder, they didn't attract any police (w/ apologies to :).

[PeaceBeWithYou]

Tourist Squirrel

[FocusNexus]

European Red Squirrel

[trisham]

Week end squirrel:

[calex59]

The Florida Times-Union reports the red-orange animals can grow to be about two feet tall and can climb in trees.

Has anyone ever actually seen a Fox squirrel that has obtained a 2 foot size? I realize they get slightly bigger than the grey squirrels we have in CA but that sounds just a tad on the large size from all the pictures I have seen of them.

Also I love the intelligent way this reporter lets us know squirrels can climb in trees. Who the he** doesn't know squirrels can climb trees?

[FReepapalooza]

“Who the he** doesn’t know squirrels can climb trees?”

The “DUH” award of the day!

I’ve got some pretty “big reds” in my backyard. They are twice the size of the greys.

Just an FYI, woodchucks can climb trees too; and if you spot one, they look like a ginormous squirrel.

[Vicki]

Make a good meal!

[SoCalPol]

Squirrel Ping
Start at top, several photos

[Disambiguator]

Squirrels do get rather large. I can see how a squirrel could be mistaken for an orangutan.

[ErnBatavia]

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission laid doughnuts at a base of a tree

Sounds like they haven't ruled out a rogue off-duty cop...

[stefanbatory]

hey, isn’t the guy on the left the one captured by those terrorists in Iraq?

[Peet]

I can't believe no one posted a link to the home of the "The Official Home Page of the Squirrel Defamation League".

All Squirrels Must Die!

Disclaimer: I have no connection, except as an amused reader, with the above web page.

Peet

[VR-21]

I used to hunt fox squirrels in east Texas. They are fairly large, and are not bad eating. I had my own secret place that teemed with them, morning dove, bobwhites and swamp rabbits (unfortunately it also teemed with copperheads and cottonmouths).

[null and void]

hey, isn’t the guy on the left the one captured by those terrorists in Iraq?

He out foxed them...