It is neither famed nor fabled beyond the Delmarva Peninsula. It does not tend to conjure up strong emotions, as do so many other wild, wooly members of the animal kingdom. Shy and retiring, it prefers slinking along in quiet woods rather than racing and tripping along telephone lines or leaping through trees in suburban backyards. For those who have never seen a Delmarva fox squirrel, confusing it with an eastern gray squirrel is not likely. You'll know right away, you're looking at something special.

Known for fat, fluffy tails that often reach a length of 15 inches (compared to the gray's average 10-inch tail), Delmarva fox squirrels are about double the weight range of their smaller cousin. The largest tree squirrels in the western hemisphere, the Delmarva fox squirrel is paler, with a light, steel-gray coat, silvery tail with black edges, and creamy white undersides. Bashful and quiet, Delmarvas are slower, more deliberate and generally more lumbering than the gray, escaping danger by running across the ground rather than scampering up a tree. Delmarva's tend to walk from place to place rather than hop.

Delmarva fox squirrels live in mature hardwood forest stands along streams and bays, and sometimes in small woodlots next to agricultural fields. Blackwater and Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuges are two of the best places to observe Delmarva on the peninsula. Oaks, maples, hickories, beeches and pines are all important components of the forest where this species occurs because they provide food in the form of mast - that is, acorns, nuts and seeds. Delmarva fox squirrels are generally found in lower densities and have much more stringent habitat requirements than gray squirrels.

While historic populations were probably never huge, the fox squirrels' range once included the entire Delmarva Peninsula, parts of southeastern Pennsylvania and possibly even areas of west-central New Jersey. Loss of habitat is believed to be the major reason for its demise, and by the early 1900s it was extirpated from all states except Maryland. By 1967, its range was narrowed to only four Eastern Shore counties - Kent, Queen Anne's, Talbot and Dorchester - less than 10 percent of its former reach.

Today the Delmarva exists in small pockets of suitable habitat but are vulnerable to local environmental disturbances. Efforts to restore the population began in 1945, when DNR purchased LeCompte Wildlife Management Area in Dorchester County as a refuge for the fox squirrel. The Delmarva was listed as endangered in 1967. The first experimental reintroduction was begun in 1968, when 34 animals were taken from existing Maryland populations and released into suitable habitat at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia. Reproduction was documented within three years and by 1974 this population had successfully expanded beyond the original release area.

Between 1978 and 1992, Delmarva fox squirrels were reintroduced to every county on Maryland's Eastern Shore and several other sites in the surrounding three states, totaling 11. The nine reintroduction sites, which proved successful, are now considered to hold established populations and six sites show squirrels venturing beyond original release areas.

Much of the habitat occupied by the Delmarva fox squirrel remains on private property. Along with the willingness of landowners to provide for the squirrels, the commitment of loggers and developers to maintaining mature forest and the ability of the state to ensure appropriate habitat is maintained are fundamental.

Special efforts to preserve wooded corridors between more isolated populations are key and the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Law of 1984 and similar coastal bays law of 2002, which requires endangered species habitat protection within 1,000 feet of the shoreline, provide further protection of crucial fox squirrel habitat.

The forecast for a bright future -- and a true recovery for this unassuming species -- will depend on the cooperative efforts of the federal, state and local governments, conservation groups, and private landowners. Meanwhile patient visitors to the shore can still sneak a peak at this unique animal which hopefully will remain an integral part of the natural heritage of the Eastern Shore wilds.

Dorcas Coleman is a member of DNR's Public Communications Office and the Assistant Editor of The Natural Resource magazine. Glenn Therres, Associate Director of DNR's Wildlife and Heritage Service, supervises the agencys' Endangered Species Conservation efforts. He has worked on Delmarva fox squirrel recovery in Maryland for over 15 years and serves as DNR's expert on the species. He has been a member of the federal DFS Recovery Team since 1988.