How do squirrels survive winter?

Squirrels certainly are some funny little critters. They hop, they play, they chase each other around, and they are always on the lookout from their favorite perch up in the tree. Once the seasons change however, the pace of life seems to slow down and food for animals becomes scarce. So how does this little animal survive outside all winter in the cold?

Well we did some digging *wink, wink* get it? Squirrel, digging. Aaaanyways, we found that squirrels have developed their own traits, instincts and skills to survive living outside in the elements of Winter.

Beginning in late summer, a light switches on inside the head of a squirrel. It has been studied that squirrels have adapted the thought process to recognize when the daylight starts becoming shorter, and the weather begins getting cooler, that the time to begin extra foraging and eating is now top priority.

From sunrise to sunset these furry little animals are constantly on the hunt for seeds, nuts, sometimes insects, and pretty much anything they can eat or bury for later. "Spatial chunking," is the term given to storing food in many separate spots.

Squirrels tend to have a pretty good memory. They use landmarks such as trees, bushes, rocks, sidewalks, fence lines, to keep a rough map of where they dig and bury food. They also will occasionally dig fake food caches, to throw off would be thieves, such as another squirrel. When they aren't foraging, digging, and protecting their territory, "squirrels are known to be very territorial," they are eating. A squirrel will typically gain 25% - 50% more mass as they eat and build up fat reserves for the winter.

Squirrels along with some other types of mammals, have special body reserves known (Brown adipose tissue.) BAT - brown fat. A unique type of fatty tissue that helps animals quickly and efficiently produce body heat. The BAT helps this animal regulate its body temperature, even when it's frigid and cold out.

Aside from foraging, squirrels will also take time to build insulated nests and homes. A squirrel's home is actually called a "drey." They use leaves, sticks, grass, moss, bark, and anything else they can find to stuff their drey with extra padding. Often a squirrel will have more than one drey. One will be for safety and lookout, and another for sleeping and raising little ones. Sometimes you can see them in a tree, a squirrels drey is larger than a bird's nest. A squirrel will also commonly make homes inside tree cavities, attics, sheds, under decks. It's important for people to protect their homes and business by doing a check for gaps to make sure they aren't inside your home.

Squirrels are usually very territorial, protecting their food supplies, especially in the Spring and Summer. However, in the Winter it is also quite common for them to bundle up together in a shared drey. Fellow squirrels can huddle up to conserve body heat, adapting their lifestyle to stay warm.

In conclusion, a squirrel may truly be a master of the outdoors. They have adapted to living in extreme weather conditions. The squirrel uses a number of specialized skills and traits like knowing when to start preparing for winter, foraging and digging extra food reserves, building up extra bulk and fat reserves, stuffing their drey with insulation, and even getting along with their neighbors for the sake of the common good. So, the next time we find ourselves stuck inside on a cold winter day, bundled up in warm clothes and blankets, surviving on frozen pizza and watching movies together to pass the time, we may think to ourselves, "maybe we are living a little bit of the squirrel life ourselves, and you know what? It's not too bad.