Squirrels at the Feeder

A few days ago I was having fun watching a few squirrels chase each other around the squirrel feeder I have in the backyard.  The chase is sometimes part of the mating process, either through the establishment of the dominant male or by the pursuit of the available female.  It got me wondering about the whole mating process (I think about things like that after three cups of coffee) and I decided to find out if squirrels mate for life.  Here is what I learned.

Squirrels do not mate for life.  Female squirrels are in estrus for only a few hours each year and will mate with any males in her territory.  There is vigorous competition for the female and she will often mate with multiple males producing litters of mixed parentage.  Once the mating is complete the male plays little role in the raising of the squirrel pups.

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During the day, you may see squirrels running just about everywhere. They run through yards, along power lines, and up trees. But, in the night, after they burn up all of that energy they need to catch some serious sleep.  It begs the question, “Where do squirrels sleep?”

Where a squirrel sleeps and lives depends on the type of squirrel, the time of year and the region of the country they live in.  In general, Gray and Red squirrels sleep in tree nests called dreys while ground squirrels sleep in underground burrows consisting of tunnels up to 30 feet in length.

Let’s take a look at some more details for the different types of squirrels and where they nap and snooze.

Ground Squirrels Sleep in Different Places Than Tree Squirrels

Most species of squirrels belong to one of two categories — tree squirrels and ground squirrels. The Eastern gray squirrel, red squirrel, and flying squirrel are tree squirrels. They sleep in nests or dens that they create or find in trees. [Read more…]

If you have looked out in the yard and seen squirrels chasing each other, they may not be fighting or playing. The chase may be part of the courtship process.

Squirrels chase each other for a variety of reasons. Young squirrels chase each other for fun while older squirrels chase each other to assert dominance in the mating process.  When a squirrel population gets too crowded then they will chase each other to protect the limited food supply. 

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Most people know that squirrels like to eat peanuts and acorns but what about bird eggs? Squirrels are omnivores, which means that they eat both plants and meat.

Squirrels will absolutely eat bird eggs and baby birds!  Squirrels are routinely seen raiding birds nests in trees and even stealing eggs from chicken coops.  Eggs are a natural part of a squirrel’s diet but squirrels have not been shown to significantly impact bird populations.

If you are worried about squirrels in your neighborhood dining on bird eggs, take a moment to learn more about the typical squirrel diet.

Squirrels Eat Eggs and Almost Anything Else

Squirrels naturally look for nuts and native plants to fill their bellies. However, squirrels eat almost anything. The foods that they tend to look for include acorns, tree bark, flowers, fruits, vegetables, insects, and various plants.

Read all about it here: What Do Squirrels Eat? Two Big Surprises!
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Squirrels are agile animals. They can easily scurry up a tree or fence. Flying squirrels can even leap great distances through the air.  While squirrels can perform many amazing feats their ability to swim is something that doesn’t get much publicity.

Squirrels are not great swimmers but can swim when needed.  Gray, Fox and Red squirrels can swim a doggy paddle stroke using their tails as a rudder.  Flying squirrels are much weaker swimmers as their gliding webbing is a hindrance in the water.

Squirrels Can Perform a Doggy Paddle

Similar to most land mammals, most squirrels can dog paddle through the water. Sometimes they use their tails to help steer.  While squirrels are not efficient swimmers you can often spot them swimming across lakes and other large bodies of water.

Performing the dog paddle requires a lot of energy to travel a short distance.

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Admittedly, watching squirrels is not something that is usually thought of when it comes to productivity. The thing is, though, that observing these entertaining little critters is a great way to learn more about how to make yourself more productive.

Don’t laugh – I’ve learned plenty from squirrels. If you are willing to take a few minutes to consider how they live, you can learn a lot.

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