What species is this mammal? I saw a mammal that looked like a large squirrel. I haven't seen anything quite like it. Can you help me identify it? * Squirrel-like, "hunched over" posture. * It was too large to be an eastern squirrel--approximately 2.5 feet, from nose to tail. * It had a fluffy tail like an eastern squirrel, not short and rat-like like a ferret. * Black face with white nose, body was chestnut-brown. * I saw this on the ground, not in a tree. * I saw it in a pine forest in east-central Alabama. * At one point, it sat up on its hind legs.

It sounds pretty much like a fox squirrel (or better: as masked face fox squirrel which are found in Alabama). They look like this (taken from this website):

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There seems to be quite some variation in terms of fur color, some animals are more greyish:

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Taken from here, this website also contains some additional information.