What is Living In My Tree?

If you have trees in your yard or around your yard, you know how they provide homes to many types of birds. But there are other animals that also live in trees. Trees provide a safe place away from predators on the ground or a great place to find food. So what could possibly be living in your tree, if you live in the United States?

1. Tree Squirrel - The tree squirrel gets its name due to the fact it lives in trees. This type of squirrel is different than other squirrels in that it has a more bushy tail. There are about 55 different types of tree squirrels living in the United States, Europe and Asia. The gray squirrel is the common squirrel we have in North America. Their tails are bushier than ground squirrels as they use it for balance while in trees. They also climb trees easily and can make leaps of 10 to 15 feet from branch to branch. The tree squirrel loves life in a tree as it is safe and it can collect its nuts, berries and food there for storage.

2. Rat Snakes - Yes, snakes. The rat snake is gray and small, reaching a maximum length of about 84 inches. The gray rat snake has a gray background color with brown to dark gray blotches. Its belly is white with boxlike dark gray to brownish blotches and dark spots that become stripes under its tail. Gray rat snakes are often found in south Alabama. There is also a black rat snake and a yellow rat snake. Black rat snakes have a black background color. Belly markings are the same as the gray rat snake. These snakes are found from New England south through Florida and west through the eastern half of Texas and Nebraska and north again to southern Wisconsin. The yellow rat snake is found along the coast of the Carolinas south through Georgia and Florida. There is also the Everglades rat snake, which is found in southern Florida's Everglades.

Rat snakes are excellent climbers and spend a lot of times in trees, but also in rafters of buildings. They are always in search of birds, eggs and mice. In trees, they nest high in tree cavities. Adult rat snakes feed on mice and eggs, sometimes birds, insects, rats, bats and other small mammals. Juveniles eat lizards and small frogs.

3. Tree Frogs - The only tree frogs found in the United States are part of the Hylidae family. There are a variety of frogs in this family. The first is the Common Tree Frog. This frog is small, around 2 to 2 ½ inches, is pale gray to brown on the back with one or more large greenish blotches. It is found over most of the United States west to the Great Plains and into Canada. The Spring Peeper lives in trees and on the ground. It is only 1 ¼ inch long, brown on back with a dark cross-shaped marking. Pacific Tree Frogs are extremely variable in color and found from the Pacific Coast eastward into Nevada, Idaho and Montana. The Chorus Frog is 1 ½ inches, greenish gray with five darker stripes or rows of dots. It is found from the Atlantic Coast west to Montana and southern Idaho and in New Mexico and Arizona at high elevations. Last is the Cricket Frog. It is very small, a little more than an inch long. It has a wide variation of color from gray to greenish red with darker or contrasting markings. They are found all over the United States west to the Rocky Mountains and into Mexico and Canada.


If you have critters living in your trees, be cautious about pruning or caring for the trees. If you are uncertain as to caring for a tree that is also an extensive habitat, contact your local arborist.

Andrew Johnson is the owner of Central Texas Tree Care, a leading tree service provider in Central Texas (Travis County and surrounding areas) offering services such as pruning and removals, cabling and bracing as well as arborist reports, diagnostics, pest management, fertilization and Austin tree service trusts. For more information please visit http://www.centraltexastreecare.com.