To begin with, the gray squirrel's existence began in North America, spread across three continents, and may still continue to spread today. The gray squirrel is native to two countries in North America. It was found on the west bank of the Mississippi River; in the states of Washington, Oregon, California and Montana. It extended as far north as Canada and claimed residence in the subdivisions of Manitoba, British Columbia, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Sackatchewan and Ontario (Fischer , Lawniczak, Pagad). Later, it was humans who introduced this squirrel to foreign countries. Between 1876 and 1929, he was unintentionally released into Europe by the London Zoo. People also traveled to northern Italy and brought it as a pet, where it was later released into the wild (Fischer). This animal is now present in four European countries. These countries are Ireland, Scotland, England and Italy (Fischer, Lawniczak, Pagad). In the future, the gray squirrel could effortlessly continue to disperse to other countries in Europe. These countries include France and Germany. It also poses a threat to Spain and several other countries (Fischer). Additionally, the color and size of the gray squirrel are distinctive traits that set it apart from other species. First of all, the coloring remains the same in males and females. Its color ranges from pale gray to dark gray (Fischer, Lawinczak, Pagad). Its ears, belly, and tail are all white to pale gray. Ginger-colored fur can be found on the head, hips, feet, and underparts of this squirrel (Lawiczak, Pagad). A natural phenomenon in the gray squirrel is melanism, meaning that it has a high amount of melanin in its skin (Fischer, Lawinczak, Pa...... middle of paper ......e capacity to climb and jump are two other characteristics that help this mammal to survive. Its claws are hard and curved, which allows it to climb tall forest trees; its hindfoot can move and jump incredible distances; (Fischer). Works Cited http://www.columbia.edu/itc/cerc/danoff-burg/infestation_bio/inv_spp_summ/Sciurus_carolinensis.htmFischer, Mary. Columbia Gray Squirrel (Sciurus Carolinensis) Introduced Species Summary Project. .edu, March 2, 2002. Web 2014. http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Sciurus_carolinensis/Lawniczak, Mara K. “Critter Catalog.” University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, 2002. Web. issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=65Pagad, Shyama. “Sciurus Carolinensis (mammal”) IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG), October 17, 2005. Web. March 26. 2014.