The gray squirrel’s appearance differs seasonally. The yellowish brown summer coat becomes thicker and gray in winter, the pelage of some individuals strikingly silver-gray. Underparts and eye-rings ...

the fur on the upper parts of the body has a reddish brown cast, and the undersurface of the tail is buffy white to tan. Apart from these differences, and larger size, the northern flying squirrel ...

In nature, their bright white colour actually makes them easier to hunt by predators like hawks. Whereas conventionally coloured squirrels have an element of camouflage to their brown coats.