Editing Western gray squirrel (section)

==Habitat and shelter==

[[File:SQUIRREL, WESTERN GRAY (scurius griseus) (8-21-09) santa margarita lake, slo co, ca -01 (3843297381).jpg|thumb|A western gray squirrel eating pine seeds from a pine cone]]Squirrel nests are called dreys and can be seen in trees, built from sticks and leaves wrapped with long strands of grass. There are two stick nest types made by the western gray squirrel: the first is a large, round, covered shelter nest for winter use, birthing, and rearing young. The second is more properly termed a "sleeping platform," a base for seasonal or temporary use. Both types are built with sticks and twigs and are lined with leaves, moss, lichens and shredded bark. The birthing nest may be lined with tail hair. The nest may measure {{convert|43|to|91|cm|in|abbr=on}} by up to {{convert|46|cm|in|abbr=on}} and is usually found in the top third of the tree. Young or traveling squirrels will also "sleep rough" when weather permits, balanced spread-eagled on a tree limb high above the forest floor. This attitude is also adopted for cooling in hot weather, a behavior also observed in raccoons.

The western gray squirrel is an arboreal species, requiring enough tree cover for arboreal travel. It resides in woody areas to build their complex nests. It lives in high and low elevations in California. It can be found at elevations up to 2,000&nbsp;m. It find habitats in both walnut trees and black oak trees.

The western gray squirrel has many predators, including [[red-tailed hawk]]s (''Buteo jamaicensis''), [[great horned owl]]s (''Bubo virginianus''), [[eagle]]s (Accipitridae), [[bobcat]]s (''Lynx rufus''), [[coyote]]s (''Canis latrans''), [[cougar]]s (''Puma concolor''), [[Cat|domestic cat]]s (''Felis catus'') and [[Dog|domestic dog]]s (''Canis familiaris''). However, the predation does not control the squirrel's population density.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Carraway|first1=Leslie N.|last2=Verts|first2=B. J.|date=1994-12-02|title=Sciurus griseus|journal=Mammalian Species|issue=474|pages=1–7|doi=10.2307/3504097|issn=0076-3519|jstor=3504097|s2cid=253911325 }}</ref>