The Eastern Gray Squirrel: All About Your Backyard Friend
Introduction
Perhaps you view them as cuddly and cute. Perhaps you view them as monsters who heartlessly rip your plants from their roots in their seemingly never-ending quest for acorns.
No matter which perception you have of the squirrel, there's no doubt that they are more than meets the eye.
Did you know about their lightning-quick reaction time? Their problem-solving abilities?
These cunning rodents could break into a bank vault protected by state-of-the-art technology if it contained enough walnuts.
(Mark Rober reference) Intensely curious? Remotely interested in any way? Let's get into it.
Characteristics
Most people, if given an image, could easily identify a squirrel.
Their long, bushy tail, sleek fur, and white belly are known to many.
However, if you were shown a picture of a specific type of squirrel, would you be able to name it?
If you could, then hats off, you are proficient in the art of squirrels.
In Georgia, you've probably only seen one type of squirrel, the Eastern Gray squirrel.
These squirrels are unique in that, with the risk of being obvious, they are gray and reside in the Eastern United States.
However, what most people don't know is that not all Eastern Gray squirrels look like the picture shown above.
In fact, there are white and black varieties of Eastern Gray squirrels in different areas.
The black or melanistic squirrels have a higher cold tolerance, allowing them to live in areas like Southeastern Canada.
The white or leucistic squirrels have white coats and dark eyes and are extremely rare.
If you happen to see one in your backyard, snap a picture, because you likely won't see another one again! (unless you're the winner of a lottery that survived seven lightning strikes and a blimp crash)
Behavior
I'm sure most of you have probably seen or heard about squirrels burying and digging up acorns.
Maybe you've heard people say that squirrels have awful memory.
In fact, the opposite is true. You have to consider that squirrels bury their precious nut stashes in thousands of locations every year.
Using this number, they actually have quite a high accuracy rate.
Not only this, but research has uncovered that squirrels actually engage in highly intellectual behaviors when it comes time to the crucial art of concealing their food supply.
For example, some squirrels use deceptive techniques to set off false alarms: if they sense another squirrel nearby, they may fake a burial while keeping the nut firmly clutched in their mouth.
Sounds preposterous? Perhaps. But squirrels' minds are much more complex than they appear.
Surely you've heard of bird nests before, but have you ever heard of a squirrel nest?
Squirrel mothers aren't slackers. They defend their pups fiercely.
(That's right, squirrel children are called pups, as well as kits or even kittens sometimes. It's rather ironic that they're named after their fiercest adversaries, the cats and the dogs.)
Squirrel moms gather dry leaves and twigs to form nests called dreys, which are usually constructed in the fork between two branches.
These aren't only for pups, though. Sometimes squirrel mates just want to have a comfortable place to call home.
Communication
Squirrels are fluent in their vocalizations and various gestures in communicating messages.
Have you ever walked through a park and heard rasping sounds, rather like a cat with a bad cold?
It turns out that it's actually a squirrel.
Not only do squirrels use vocalizations, but they also use gestures.
For example, if you see a squirrel held into place with his tail flicking, it usually means that they are making a decision.
What kind of decision is up to your imagination.
Habitat
Squirrels are widespread across the world and can be seen essentially everywhere you go.
(Except for Antarctica. That's a ground squirrel, my friend!)
Eastern Gray squirrels, in particular, prefer to live in forests of oak and hickory trees, which is why they dominate suburban neighborhoods.
They tend to lean towards these trees more than conifers like pine and evergreen because of the food they provide.
(Think for a second about what squirrels are known for. You probably thought of acorns...and where do those come from? Is it clicking now?)
Predators and Prey
Eastern Gray squirrels are primarily hunted by hawks, owls, and snakes.
However, they have a number of other predators, including weasels, raccoons, bobcats, foxes, wild and domestic cats, and dogs.
This may seem like a long list for such a prevalent species, but it all makes sense when you consider the speed of a squirrel.
They glide through a forest quickly, making it difficult for predators to catch them.
The Eastern Gray squirrel's "prey" consist of a mix of nuts, tree bark, tree buds, flowers, berries, seeds, and even fungi.
Squirrels are also known to raid gardens for crops. (Who knew they were such thieves?)
These cute and innocent creatures may only be known for eating nuts and seeds most of the time, but few people know that they also eat meat on occasion.
They can sometimes turn to insects, frogs, small rodents, and small birds for food sources, though this happens very rarely.
Squirrels are also known to gnaw on bones, antlers, and turtle shells to enrich their diet with minerals.
If you are or have ever been a bird watcher, you might also know that squirrels are a big fan of being the bully on the block.
They often chase away other birds and steal seeds and nuts from bird feeders for their own consumption.
A Few Fun Facts
To wrap it up, we're going to cover some of the lesser-known facts about squirrels.
This section is worth your time, so don't click off, and you can impress your friends and professional squirrel watchers with a few tidbits of information!
1. Gray squirrels were eaten by Native Americans in the old times, and their meat is sometimes still on sale in the United Kingdom!
2. Squirrels can smell food that is buried under 1 foot of snow!
3. Newborn squirrels are only about an inch long. (no wonder squirrel moms need to construct nests!)
4. Squirrels always land on their feet. (If you want more information on how this works, go search it up!)
5. Eastern Gray squirrels are one of the few mammals that, unlike cats, can climb down a tree headfirst.
In conclusion, Eastern Gray squirrels, and all squirrels in general, have a lot more substance than people might believe.
If you are genuinely interested in learning more, go out and study the squirrels in your backyard for an hour or two every once in a while, and you will find that they are charming and interesting creatures to watch.
There is still so much to learn about these fascinating rodents with their bright eyes and playful, acorn-loving nature.
Get out there and explore!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_gray_squirrel
https://blog.nwf.org/2015/01/10-nutty-facts-to-make-you-appreciate-squirrels/