One misplaced acorn can grow an entire forest. Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day! 🌰🐿️
Today, January 21, we celebrate squirrels and recognize how important they are for healthy ecosystems all around us.
Squirrels are some of nature’s best gardeners. When they bury nuts and seeds for winter and forget about some of them, they help spread seeds across the land. This helps forests regenerate, increases plant diversity, and supports trees like oaks, which are important to woodland habitats.
Squirrels do more than just plant seeds. They are an important part of the food web. Imagine a red-tailed hawk perched on a tall tree, scanning the woodland floor. Its keen eyes lock onto a gray squirrel scurrying through the fallen leaves. In that moment, the hawk swoops silently through the crisp air, a vivid example of the interconnected relationships within the ecosystem.
Squirrels themselves eat insects and sometimes bird eggs, while serving as food for hawks, foxes, owls, and other animals. Their habits help maintain balance in nature and improve soil by promoting decomposition and nutrient cycling.
These quick and clever animals remind us that all life is connected. I remember one morning watching a particularly resourceful squirrel dart across my backyard, pausing only to hide an acorn in my flower bed. Weeks later, I was amazed to see a little sprout emerge from that very spot. When a squirrel forgets where it buried a nut, that small act can lead to a whole grove of trees. It shows how even small actions help keep nature diverse.
Interesting Facts About Squirrels
- Red squirrels change their body fur twice every year, but their tail hair only changes once.
- They can jump over 2 meters (6.5 feet), ten times their body length (without the tail). The long tail, measuring another 20 centimeters (8in), helps squirrels to balance and steer when jumping.
- Squirrels live in a nest known as a drey. Dreys are located high up in trees, made from twigs, and lined with moss, leaves, and other soft materials.
- They engage in deceptive caching. The squirrel digs a hole and fiercely plugs it up without using the nut to fend off any food thieves.
- Squirrels like to gnaw on reindeer horns. The horns provide a good supplement of calcium, phosphorus, glucosamine, and chondroitin, with trace amounts of magnesium, potassium, zinc, and iron.
- Squirrels’ front teeth don’t stop growing. Like those of other rodents, squirrels’ front teeth continue to develop throughout their lives. Gnawing on animal horns (see above) helps squirrels grind down their teeth.
- They zigzag to avoid predators. Squirrels flee in a zigzag fashion when they are threatened.
- Squirrels possess exceptional spatial memory, enabling them to relocate buried food even after months and under significant snow cover. Their hippocampus enlarges seasonally during peak caching periods to support this capability.
- Squirrel species vary dramatically in size, from the tiny African pygmy squirrel (approximately 12 cm long) to the Indian giant squirrel (up to 90 cm in length).
- Certain ground squirrels, such as the California ground squirrel, can neutralize rattlesnake venom, allowing them to confront and survive encounters that would be fatal to many other animals.
How to Celebrate Squirrel Awareness Month
- Feed the little critters nuts, fruits, and vegetables. Squirrels love walnuts and hazelnuts (all kinds of nuts, really), so you can start with that. You can go to a park or set up a simple feeding station in your backyard. Fill feeders with a mix of nuts, seeds, and fresh fruits. You could also transform your garden into a squirrel-friendly sanctuary by setting up squirrel houses, planting nut-bearing trees, and creating safe spaces for them to hide.
- Plant some trees to support squirrel habitats. They provide food and shelter for the squirrels and other small animals and birds. You can also create a safe space for squirrels to hide by leaving some areas of your garden undisturbed and providing water sources.
- Share the Joy: capture the squirrels in action and share their shenanigans on social media, using #squirrelappreciationday to connect with others who appreciate these fascinating creatures.
- Consider logging your squirrel observations on a citizen-science platform such as iNaturalist or Project Squirrel (US). It’s an impactful way to contribute to important ecological research and to become a part of the ongoing conservation effort, extending your engagement beyond just one day.
Bonus: A NASA engineer designed a squirrel-proof birdfeeder. Or so he thought.
Related Posts
- Simple Steps to Improved Biodiversity in the Garden
- How to Help Wildlife in Your Garden During Winter
- Share My Wildlife With Me
- Protecting Our Planet’s Precious Wildlife: Celebrating World Animal Day
- Meet Gretel, the Little Red Squirrel
- Of Squirrels and Woodpeckers
- Fight or Flight?
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