Although I'm certainly no expert and have not completely satisfied myself on the question, I think it is highly probable that I have seen a new species of squirrel in my back yard this week. I guess my bird feeder attracts more than birds. Anyhow, as I glazed angrily out the window at the little thief hanging from my feeder, I noted that it far more colorful than our typical gray squirrels. After thinking over it later, I recalled that Fox Squirrels have more reddish orange than gray squirrels, especially on their stomachs. After finishing my research, I determined that I was almost certain that it was a Fox Squirrel (which I had never seen in my yard before, and possibly anywhere else either). Anyway, here some of the images I took of the little rascal. Decide for yourself which you think it is and leave a comment to vote. Since I couldn't get any pictures of the squirrel's stomach, you'll just have to take my word for it that the stomach was rusty red.
Here is a link that outlines the differences between the two species. The only thing that bothers me about this ID is that the subject squirrel's brush (tail) reminds me much more of a gray squirrel than a fox squirrel. Whether another one of my hallucinations, individual variance, or hybridization is beyond me. I also noticed that this individual has black on it's face and "elbows". Whether this means anything or not is beyond me, but I didn't see it on any other individuals after a prolonged Google image search. Finally, also note the lack of rusty red in the center of the back, which is present on most gray squirrels. Maybe this is obviously a fox squirrel and I'm merely experiencing mild paranoia, but I haven't differentiating between these two species before and I always try to be especially careful the first time.
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