What are squirrels most talented at doing? Tree squirrels run fast and jump long distances on tiny branches high up in trees. Ground squirrels dig long tunnels very fast. Many squirrels chatter and use their tails to communicate a complex language. All squirrels have very sharp teeth and flexible front paws -- and are very smart about opening containers and solving other food-related challenges. Squirrels have sensitive hearing. Squirrels have big eyes that see very well -- but they are on the sides of their heads, so they don't see what's at the tip of their nose. That's one reason it can be dangerous to feed a squirrel -- it can't see your fingers and might accidentally bit you if you get too close. Are squirrels friendly? Tree squirrels -- especially Gray Squirrels -- are quite used to humans and many will come close to people hoping they will be fed. However, squirrels deserve our respectful distance. They have very sharp teeth and sharp claws and defend themselves by biting and scratching if they are startled. However, they are fun to observe. Think of it like this -- people are HUGE to the little squirrels. If a HUGE animal tried to play with you...would you defend yourself? Of course! So treat them with gentle respect...and they can be wonderful "wild friends". Do squirrels live in houses? Squirrels build their own "houses" for summer use, and they live in cavities in large trees during cold winter months to keep them warm. They are mammals, so they need to protect themselves from both cold and hot weather just like people do. However, did you mean, "do squirrels live in people houses?" Yes, they sometimes do find a way to climb into an attic or empty room. They love being protected from natural enemies such as hawks and cats and even snakes. And they enjoy the snug warmth, too. Squirrels can be pretty noisy in an attic -- so if you don't want squirrels in your attic, prevention is the best solution. Making sure that small holes are reparied with metal plates, and that scrap food is removed will encourage squirrels to go find their natural home space and natural food sources. Use metal whenever possible -- avoid plastic, PVC and wood in squirrel territory. You might want to place pet food dishes, garbage cans and bird feeders carefully -- they look like a holiday dinner to a hungry squirrel! It's a lot easier than foraging for nuts and fruit, so they will visit these human diners every day once they are discovered. Why do squirrels dig in the garden and flowerbeds? Squirrels hide their extra nuts in the soil, under logs, and under leaves in "caches". Then they hunt for them when they get hungry ... so as they smell good food buried in nice soft soil in a garden, they just naturally dig there. You can prevent some of this digging in special places by covering areas with hardware cloth, a heavy metal screen with half inch grids. This can even be used in flower pots. Why do squirrels chew on electrical wires and hoses? Squirrels' teeth grow very fast and they have to continuously sharpen and shorten them, so they chew on hard things like twigs to sharpen, clean and trim their long teeth. Urban squirrels have discovered that electrical wire and hoses work just as well! Why do squirrels have such long tails? Tree squirrels, in particular, have long tails to help them balance as they run up and down and from tree to tree. It's like holding a stick sideways when we balance on a beam. Squirrels also use their long fluffy tails as an "umbrella" -- to shade them from hot sunlight, sheild them from rain, warm them during cold weather, and as a flag to communicate with other squirrels. How fast are squirrels? Tree squirrels run and jump so fast that they have been clocked at 20 miles per hour. The average squirrel ususally scampers at about half that speed. However -- they don't do so well on streets. Squirrels have a habit of stopping when danger runs toward them -- but not cars. When they use this natural behavior on streets, cars tend to run over them. What do squirrels eat? Being rodents, squirrels eat a wide variety of mostly vegetarian foods -- but some add a few insects or small animals as well. Here is a general list of what squirrels eat -- but each species has its favorite menu. In their natural habitats tree squirrels eat a variety of foods including fungi, insects, bird eggs and young birds, pine nuts, and acorns, plus a wide variety of other seeds, nuts, dried corn, fruits, twigs, buds, bark, leaves, pine cones, roots, and mushrooms. And on occasion -- almonds, English and black walnuts, oranges, avocados, apples, apricots, and a variety of other plants. During ground foraging they may feed on strawberries, tomatoes, corn, and other crops. And don't forget dog food, table scraps and whatever else smells good! It's fun to keep a journal of all the different kinds of foods your neighborhood squirrels eat. Very enlightening!

• published: 03 Dec 2014
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