Well... anyway, I did some research on where squirrels sleep
So now I’m not ashamed of those who come to my diary for this information
The squirrel family is divided into arboreal, terrestrial and flying squirrels. In Russian, “squirrels” are the name given to arboreal squirrels, while terrestrial ones include, for example, gophers and chipmunks, which live and sleep in burrows dug in the ground. So we will talk about tree squirrels.
Where do they live and sleep? For the answer, we turn to the book "" By Richard W. Thorington, Katie Ferrell, as well as several other sources, links to which are given below.
In most cases, squirrels live and sleep either in nests built on tree branches or in tree hollows (if there are any nearby). In rare cases, it has been observed that tree squirrels, like ground squirrels, live in burrows. In cities and other human settlements, squirrels may make their nest in the attic of a house, in a hollow space under the house, or under a porch.
Squirrels who have made their home in the attic.
Another "attic" squirrels
Nests in trees are usually built at a height of 4.5 meters, in the forks of branches or opposite the trunk. Squirrels take a very thorough approach to housing construction: first they make a base from branches, dry leaves and tightly compacted moss, then they line it inside with moss, wool, bark, grass, feathers and even pillow stuffing. The average nest diameter is 46 cm. Most squirrels have several nests at once. One is the main one, most carefully built, and several more casually made in order to sleep in them for a short time in the middle of the day in between searches for food, or to hide from a predator when the main nest is far away.
Squirrel nest on a tree
Another nest in the tree
If it is possible to build a nest in a hollow, squirrels will prefer it, since it is easier to hide from predators and raise children in a hollow. Squirrels sleep at night and also in the middle of the day. In summer they are most active several hours after dawn and several hours before sunset, and in winter - in the first half of the day. In the dark, they almost never leave the nest. In bad weather (storm, extreme cold) they may not leave their homes for several days. There have been cases of squirrels building nests in cars, under porches, and in outdoor grills.
It happens that squirrels become comfortable in abandoned bird nests and birdhouses with a wide entrance.
In the birdhouse
And sometimes they can go to sleep right in your hammock
Almost every person has an idea of what a squirrel looks like. This animal can easily be seen while walking through the forest. However, if you ask what a male squirrel is called, most people will find it difficult to answer. And that's what it's called. Let's get to know this animal in more detail.
Appearance
A small rodent of the squirrel family. Spends most of its life in trees. The most notable in appearance are the long fluffy tail, large ears with tassels and a beautiful fluffy coat. The paws have long, sharp claws for climbing trees.
The body length varies from 20 to 30 centimeters, while the tail length is 10-17 centimeters. The weight is also small - 250-350 grams.
The color of the animal is influenced by its habitat and time of year. Animals with darker fur live in coniferous forests. Here you can find a forest squirrel with a completely black color.
In deciduous forests, squirrels have reddish-red fur coats. In summer, the fur has more reddish-brown shades, and in winter - gray. Moreover, regardless of the habitat, the fur on the abdomen of any squirrel is always light.
Habitats
The habitat of this furry rodent is a vast area. They are found in all forest zones, from the Atlantic coast to Kamchatka. They also live on Sakhalin and the island of Hokkaido.
The squirrel is a tree dweller. It prefers to settle on coniferous trees, but is found in any forest. In general, there should be enough food in places where squirrels live. If the year is rich in cedar and spruce cones, then the animal settles in cedar and spruce forests.
When the yield of seeds from coniferous trees is low, the animal can actively search for mushrooms, of which there are always more in pine forests. By the way, this furry animal often lives in city parks, as well as in the attics and attics of human houses.
Lifestyle and habits
Most of the life of these rodents is spent high in the trees, but they also have to descend to the ground. To move on the ground, they use jumps, the length of which reaches 1 meter.
Living in trees, this animal can jump perfectly. One of the functions of the bushy tail is as a steering wheel when jumping from tree to tree.
In warm weather, during the day she tirelessly collects food, occasionally basking motionless in the sun. From some of the food found, it makes provisions for the future, including for the winter.
When snow makes movement difficult, the animal climbs into its nest and waits out unfavorable conditions in a half-asleep state. Leads a daily lifestyle. When nocturnal predators go hunting, she goes to sleep in a hollow or nest.
He makes the nest himself, but how squirrels make a hollow will be discussed in more detail below.
When next to a person, he can beg for something tasty, and he can do it in an impudent manner. It looks very funny, and people, as a rule, like such arrogance. He also willingly checks human-made bird feeders.
Every year, from late summer to early autumn, these animals begin to migrate in search of food, which is no longer sufficient in the old places. Travels alone, without forming large aggregations.
Nutrition
Most people believe that it is exclusively a herbivore. Indeed, the most favorite delicacy is the seeds of cedar, spruce, and larch cones. The forest squirrel also eats berries, mushrooms, roots and other plant foods.
However, when there is a shortage of food, as well as during reproduction, larvae, insects, small amphibians and even eggs and small chicks are added to the diet.
Wintering
Hollow
Spending most of their lives on trees, these animals build nests for themselves. They are built in the form of a ball from flexible twigs. The inside of such dwellings is insulated with moss and the animals’ own hair.
Will a person who is not specifically interested accidentally hear the name of a squirrel’s nest? There are few chances. Gaino is the name of not only a squirrel’s nest, but also the nests of other animals.
It can build a tree either in a hollow or in a fork of a tree between thick branches at a height of 5-17 meters. In addition to the main entrance, a small emergency entrance must be built from the side of the trunk to escape from uninvited guests.
The male squirrel does not build a nest. He occupies abandoned squirrel nests or completes abandoned bird nests.
Where do squirrels live in winter? In winter, they live in insulated nests, which are often built in hollows. During wintering, one squirrel nest can be occupied by 3-6 individuals. Having carefully plugged the entrance with moss, the animals try to warm each other. A fluffy tail also helps to stay warm during winter.
During severe frosts, the temperature inside the nest where the squirrels sleep can reach 15-20 degrees, so they are in no hurry to leave it until it warms up.
Reserves
The animal prepares in advance for a warm and satisfying winter. Knows how to choose food that will not spoil all winter. Hollow trees are often used as storage areas. It can also hide food underground between tree roots.
Having made the necessary food reserves, the squirrel forgets about them. She will later discover most of them by chance when inspecting suitable places. It happens that she comes across supplies of other animals: mice or chipmunks. From reserves that are not found by either the squirrel or other animals, new trees can grow.
Reproduction
They reproduce 2-3 times a year. The mating season begins in late February - early March. Males begin to constantly fight among themselves. 5-6 males run after one female. As a result, she chooses the strongest one to mate.
Immediately after the squirrels mate, the female spends 4-5 days building a nest for the offspring with greater accuracy. This nest is larger than usual. The squirrel's pregnancy lasts for 40 days.
Then blind, deaf and naked cubs are born. Their number varies from 3 to 10. When squirrels have baby squirrels, the female takes all care of them.
After 14 days, the baby squirrels are covered with fur, and after a month they become sighted. After another month and a half, the young individuals become independent. After about 13 weeks, the squirrel has her next litter.
With very high fertility, only one to four individuals remain from each litter after a year. The reason is such enemies of squirrels as birds of prey and animals of the weasel family. Moreover, hunting a squirrel that has not fully matured often turns out to be successful.
How many years do squirrels live in captivity when they are protected from their natural enemies? In favorable conditions, a squirrel can live 10-12 years.
In the wild, where an animal can die from various diseases, the life expectancy of a squirrel is on average 3-4 years.
Value for hunters
For hunters, the main value is the skin of the squirrel, although its meat is also consumed as food. In order not to spoil the skin, they try to shoot the squirrel in the head. Squirrel hunting can be done with or without a dog.
Video
You will find interesting facts about proteins in our video.
What interests me is the behavior of animals at different times of the year. Since in winter many people do not feel very well (they are trying to somehow adapt to unfavorable conditions), probably some changes may also occur in animals. For example, such a state as hibernation. Hibernation is a special physiological state of the body in which many of its normal functions are switched off or extremely slowed down, which allows the animal to be in a state of complete rest for a long time. For example, winter hibernation of bears, their body temperature practically does not decrease during this period. The state of complete torpor in the American woodchuck, the winter sleep of the bear, the seasonal change of fur and changes in the behavior of hares are all examples that indicate adaptations to winter conditions. Another adaptation that ensures survival of unfavorable seasonal living conditions is collecting food reserves. It is characteristic of different animals. It is an interesting adaptation to endure unfavorable conditions that sometimes arise in nature. migration (from Latin migrans) means relocation.
A long tail like a plume, an amazing red coat, huge lively eyes and a sly look - this is the appearance of the red squirrel, one of the most common inhabitants of our forests. Having appeared on Earth several million years ago, this small rodent is today distributed throughout the world, where there is a forest that provides shelter for it.
All Squirrels are diurnal animals, and they are easy to see even in places where they are few in number. Some squirrels live in burrows, others in trees, but arboreal species run well on the ground, and terrestrial ones move deftly along rocks and trees.
When small animals do not move, they quickly lose heat and can freeze. Therefore, immobility, especially during sleep, poses a serious danger to their lives. How do these animals survive? It turns out that all living beings in nature are protected from harmful environmental influences. For example, squirrels wrap themselves in their fur-like tails and sleep curled up into a ball. This saves them from freezing while sleeping. Some species of squirrels are capable of falling into deep hibernation for the winter, and sometimes for part of the summer. Their heart rate slows down (down to 1 beat every 5 minutes), and their body temperature drops sharply. Such an animal does not wake up, even if you pick it up. Other species enter shallow hibernation or remain active throughout the year.
In winter, the squirrel spends all daylight hours searching for food. Her long body in a reddish-gray coat with white fur on her belly flashes in the branches of the trees. Here and there its round head with large ears with tassels at the ends will appear from behind the trunk. It must be said that squirrels grow tufts on their ears in winter. A beautiful long tail helps the squirrel deftly jump from tree to tree. It serves the squirrel both as a glider and as a rudder to control flight; and like a parachute, slowing down the fall. Having such a tail, the squirrel jumps from the tallest trees straight to the ground without harming itself.
A squirrel leaves a clear paw print in the snow. The trail from the front ones is small: two dots, both nearby. The squirrel rests on these short front legs, and moves its hind legs far forward and slightly to the sides. The trail from the hind paws is long, elongated, with imprints of thin fingers. The squirrel works with its front paws like it does with its hands: it picks off pine cones, takes nuts, and pulls twigs with buds to its mouth.
Cones are the favorite winter food of squirrels. With sharp teeth, she deftly cuts off the scales and at the same time constantly twists the cone with her paws. The animal's incisor teeth are amazing: they never wear down or get dull. But all her life she gnaws hard nuts, cones, and tree twigs. Cones processed by a squirrel differ from crossbills and woodpeckers in that it gnaws the cone to the ground.
In hungry winters, when there are few cones, the squirrel feeds on bark, spruce buds, and digs up snow in search of food on the ground. In winter, when everything edible is hidden under the snow, it is difficult for squirrels to find food. Therefore, these prudent animals prepare provisions for the winter in the summer. It is interesting that when creating food supplies for the winter, they show amazing accuracy. As if realizing that fruits and meat quickly spoil, they do not stock up on this food. Squirrels prepare only long-storable foods for themselves for the winter; with the help of their amazingly subtle sense of smell, they find hidden acorns, nuts, and mushrooms even in deep snow. Squirrels storing food for the winter find nuts hidden in different places thanks to their excellent sense of smell. They can smell nuts even if they are hidden under a 30-centimeter layer of snow.
Squirrels bring food for the winter to their burrows, where they hide it in several places. Later they forget the location of most of these places. It turns out that this forgetfulness of squirrels has its purpose; over time, new trees grow from supplies not used by squirrels.
The squirrel senses weather changes better than any barometer. It happens that it’s still snowing, but the squirrel has already jumped along the branches, which means that the weather will be good soon. But as soon as the first signs of bad weather appear, the squirrel immediately hides in its nest, plugs the entrance hole and, curled up comfortably in a ball, waits out the bad weather. If the day is clear, the sky is clear, and the squirrel does not leave the nest, then expect severe frost.
The squirrel's nest is unusual: it is made of intertwined twigs in the shape of a ball with a side entrance. The bedding of moss, lichen and soft fur makes it very dry and warm.
In the city, squirrels get along with humans easily and trust him so much that they take food from his hands. This restless, playful animal is a real decoration of our parks and forests.
The influence of the surrounding nature on the hare.
The tracks of a hare are easy to distinguish: two wide prints side by side in front and two smaller ones, one after the other, behind. I wonder how such an unusual trail comes about. The hare has long hind legs. While running, he throws them both forward at the same time: he overtakes himself. So the prints of the short front legs turn out to be behind the prints of the long hind legs.
A hare jumps easily through the snow where we can’t get through without skis - we’ll fall through. And again he is helped by amazing paws, the soles of which are overgrown with thick and soft hair in winter. Dressed with such a felt cushion, the toes of the paws move apart greatly. So the hare gets his own skis. Jump through the snowdrifts. His amazing paws do not slip on the smoothest ice surface. In addition, it turns out that the hare also has its own ski wax; sweat, released only on the paws and lubricating the feet, protects them from snow sticking. Try to catch up with this one!
It is difficult to see the hare itself. His fur coat is white - the color of snow. The animal itself is very careful, sensitive and timid. How can one not be timid if there are so many enemies around: birds of prey, foxes, dogs. And the hares get it from the man. And he has all the protection: fast legs and the ability to hide.
The hare hides in a hole all day. He will dig it in the snow, sit with his muzzle towards the exit and doze in his shelter. If someone follows his trail, the hare will be the first to notice him and have time to run away. Not every hunter will take a hare by surprise.
The hare begins to feel the lack of food mainly in the second half of winter, especially in heavy snow conditions. Hares feed mainly on thin branches of aspen, willow, and birch. And also branches of maple, oak, and hazel. From thicker branches, only the bark is gnawed off. But they also eat dry grass, although not very willingly.
In addition to the ability to search for food, nature has endowed animals with many other useful qualities that help them survive. There are many varieties of hares in the world, each with their own distinctive characteristics. For example, hares living in cold countries “paint” white in the winter. They need a white coat in order to avoid becoming easy prey for predators, who are especially hungry in winter: the white color of a bunny helps it go unnoticed in the snow.
The population of hares that is preserved at the present time exists to a large extent due to human assistance in the survival of animals: as soon as in a frosty, snowy winter, lay out tasty feeding - clover, willow and aspen branches - and the hares will be spared from hunger.
Bear behavior in winter.
The bear is a large terrestrial predator. The color of this predator is subject to strong individual variability from dark brown, almost black, to light gray and straw yellow. Bear cubs have a white “collar” that disappears with age. True, even in adult animals a blurry white spot is sometimes noticeable on the chest.
In our country, the bear is distributed throughout the forest zone from the western borders to the Pacific Ocean, as well as in the mountains of the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, and Central Asia. It prefers old mixed forests with windbreaks, burnt areas, swamps, and river valleys. Only in the mountains does the animal live in sparsely forested areas and is even found in alpine meadows.
The composition of a bear's food depends on the season and the harvest of certain foods. Upon leaving the den, the animals feed on ants and aspen shoots, look for the corpses of animals that died during the winter, chase moose on the crust, but mainly subsist on the fat remaining after winter sleep. When the snow melts, they eat overwintered berries, green grass shoots, and, somewhat later, fresh aspen leaves, many umbrella plants, as well as all kinds of small animals and bird eggs. In mid-summer they feed on various berries as they ripen. In Siberia, pine nuts serve as essential food for bears, and in the southern regions of the country - hazel, acorns, chestnuts, and the fruits of wild fruit trees.
A bear needs a lot of food in order to accumulate a sufficient amount of fat for the winter (about 50 kilograms); the animal needs 600-700 kilograms of berries or 400-500 kilograms of pine nuts, not counting other food. In years when there is no harvest for berries, bears actively visit oat crops in the northern part, and corn crops in the southern part; in years with little food, some animals attack livestock and destroy apiaries.
Winter - the hungriest time - animals spend in a den in a state of sleep, namely sleep (they have a sensitive one), and not hibernation, during which the animal falls into suspended animation. A disturbed predator can leave the den at any time and begin an active life. It is generally accepted that for winter sleep the bear chooses a place that is remote and remote from human habitation. This is not entirely true. Currently, even the deepest forest lands are being developed, technology is penetrating into them, new settlements and a dense network of roads are appearing. The bear gets used to the proximity of humans and often makes a den near roadways, in fresh clearings or in other places frequently visited by humans. There is a known case of a bear wintering 1.5 km from the village; the animal was discovered only in the spring, when it came out of its den.
Before going into the den, the bear collects various rags and moss for bedding, rolls it all into a ball and, backing away, drags it into the den. Bald patches of soil under peeled moss can be very visible and give away the location of the den. Most often, the bear lies down under the trunk of a fallen tree near the inversion. If he settles down in the so-called riding den, then, in addition to moss, he collects branches and makes something like a nest out of them, and on top, above the “nest,” he breaks several fir trees; sometimes the animal digs an earthen den, and in mountainous areas it uses caves and voids among piles of rocks.
The duration of this predator's winter sleep depends on the geographic latitude: in the northern part, animals fall asleep at the end of October and emerge from their dens only in the second half of April, or even at the beginning of May.
During winter sleep, when the predator lies motionless in the den, its cardiopulmonary activity decreases: body temperature fluctuates between 29 and 34 ° C, after five to ten breaths there is a pause, sometimes lasting up to four minutes. In this state, the bear’s body very economically uses up the reserve of fat accumulated from abundant autumn food, and it lasts until spring. But if the animal leaves the den, all its organs begin to work actively. The bear is quickly losing weight and needs food. In this case, he turns into a tramp or, as people say, into a connecting rod. The connecting rod is a dangerous beast. He is hungry and irritable; in search of food, attracted by the smell of food, he goes to the lumber camp or tries to catch an elk.
Polar bear.
The polar bear is a resident of the Far North. Among predatory animals it is considered the largest. The icy expanses are his hunting grounds; the sea provides him with food (mainly seals, often fish).
Bears not only find food in sea water, but also dive into it in the summer to cool down, and in the winter to warm up, escaping sharp gusts of wind. The polar bear is perfectly adapted to the harsh conditions of the Arctic and a semi-starved lifestyle. A slender body, an elongated neck and a small elongated head give its body a streamlined shape, making swimming and diving easier. A thick layer of subcutaneous fat and long hair protect the animal from hypothermia. Its wide paws serve as flippers. Thanks to them, the bear swims well, picking up speed up to 5-6 km/hour. The bear's fur gets wet slightly, as it has a thick undercoat that retains air, preventing water from penetrating. The white color of the coat makes the bear inconspicuous against the background of snow and ice, this makes it easier for him to hunt seals, especially since he covers his black nose with his paws when approaching prey.
In autumn, bears find suitable places to lie down in dens. Usually, animals lie down in pits and wait for a snowstorm, during which snow sweeps snowdrifts around them, forming the walls and ceiling of the den.
In the absence of food, polar bears fall into summer hibernation, which saves them from death.
1. The transition to the winter season radically affects the way of life of animals: coloring, fur condition, nutrition, behavior.
2. In summer, animals wear light fur coats, but they will not save them from the winter cold. This is why animals molt in the fall. Molting in animals is a gradual change of fur. Instead of summer wool, a new one grows in the fall - thick, fluffy.
3. In winter, animals feed differently: In winter, the squirrel spends all daylight hours in search of food. She makes provisions in the summer, the hare looks for pasture, and the bear accumulates fat in the summer and spends it all winter as a natural supply of food.
4. Winter affects animal behavior.
The squirrel is very sensitive to weather changes. If she jumps on the branches, it means that the weather will be good soon. But at the first sign of bad weather, the squirrel immediately hides in its nest, plugs the entrance hole and, curled up comfortably in a ball, waits out the bad weather. If the squirrel does not come out of the nest on a clear day, then expect severe frost.
In winter it is difficult to see the hare itself. The animal itself is very careful, sensitive and timid. And he has all the protection: fast legs and the ability to hide. Hares hide in a hole all day. He will dig it in the snow, sit with his muzzle towards the exit and doze in his shelter. If someone follows his trail, the hare will be the first to notice him and have time to run away. Not every hunter will take a hare by surprise.
The bear spends winter - the hungriest time - in the den in a state of sleep, namely sleep (they are sensitive), and not hibernation, during which the animal falls into suspended animation. For winter sleep, the bear chooses a place that is remote and remote from human habitation. Most often, the bear lies down under the trunk of a fallen tree near the inversion. If he settles down in the so-called riding den, then, in addition to moss, he collects branches and makes something like a nest out of them, and on top, above the “nest,” he breaks several fir trees; sometimes the animal digs an earthen den, and in mountainous areas it uses caves and voids among piles of rocks.
5. In winter, it is very difficult for animals to survive harsh climatic conditions, so they need human help: its protection, conservation and reasonable use.
In the city, squirrels easily get along with humans and trust him so much that they take food from his hands. This restless, playful animal is a real decoration of our parks and forests.
Hares exist thanks to human help: in a frosty, snowy winter, if you lay out tasty food - clover, willow and aspen branches - the hares will be freed from hunger.
6. Many animals in our country are listed in the Red Book. Therefore, the government is taking measures to protect them at the state level. Laws have been issued aimed at preserving and increasing various species of animals.
How do squirrels live in winter?
In winter, the squirrel spends all daylight hours searching for food. Her long body in a reddish-gray coat with white fur on her belly flashes in the branches of the trees. Here and there its round head with large black eyes and long ears with tassels at the ends will appear from behind the trunk. It must be said that squirrels grow tufts on their ears in winter. A beautiful long fluffy tail helps the squirrel deftly jump from tree to tree. It also serves the squirrel as a glider, allowing it to soar while jumping; and like a rudder to control flight; and like a parachute, slowing down the fall. Having such a tail, the squirrel jumps from the tallest trees straight to the ground without harming itself.
A squirrel leaves a clear paw print in the snow. The trail in front of them is small: two dots, both nearby. The squirrel rests on these short front legs, and moves its hind legs far forward and slightly to the sides. The trail from the hind paws is long, elongated, with the imprint of thin fingers.
Separate fingers with sharp, tenacious claws help the squirrel surprisingly quickly and confidently climb steep trunks without falling off the thinnest branches.
The squirrel works with its front paws like it does with its hands: it picks off pine cones, takes nuts, and pulls twigs with buds to its mouth.
Cones are the favorite winter food of squirrels. With sharp teeth, she deftly cuts off the scales and at the same time constantly twists the cone with her paws. The animal's incisor teeth are amazing: they never wear down or become dull. But all her life she gnaws hard nuts, cones, and tree twigs! Cones processed by a squirrel differ from crossbills and woodpeckers in that it gnaws the cone to the ground. All that remains is a thin rod and a bunch of individual scales.
In hungry winters, when there are few cones, the squirrel feeds on bark, spruce buds, and digs up snow in search of food on the ground. The supplies made in the fall help the squirrel survive the harsh times. With the help of an amazingly subtle sense of smell, she finds hidden acorns, nuts, and mushrooms even in deep snow.
The squirrel senses weather changes better than any barometer. It happens that it’s still snowing, but the squirrel has already jumped along the branches, which means that the weather will be good soon. But as soon as the first signs of bad weather appear, the squirrel immediately hides in its nest, plugs the entrance hole and, curled up comfortably in a ball, waits out the bad weather. If the day is clear, the sky is clear, and the squirrel does not leave the nest, then expect severe frost.
The squirrel's nest is unusual: it is made of intertwined twigs in the shape of a ball with a side entrance. A bedding of moss, lichen and soft fur will keep it very dry and warm. It happens that squirrels also settle in tree hollows.
Already in February, squirrels begin their mating season. At this time, they run a lot, make acrobatic jumps, and play hide and seek.
In the city, squirrels get along with humans easily and trust him so much that they take food from his hands. This restless, playful animal is a real decoration of our parks and forests.
The life of squirrels in nature usually occurs in forests. The animal's main source of nutrition is the seeds of tree species.
That is why the squirrel settles in places where it can easily get food for itself. The animal also loves mature coniferous plantations, which are cedar and spruce forests.
Where do squirrels spend the winter? The animals do not leave their habitual places. During the cold season they can also be found in forest areas. However, some of them move closer to humans in the hope of surviving snowstorms and cold weather with his help. These guests from the forest appear in city parks in winter. They do not come to people because of a good life. Lack of food forces them to look for richer places. That is why, during difficult winter times, city parks are more suitable for them than native forest areas.
Nature's barometer
When there is no snow, squirrels are often on the ground. At the same time, they move in jumps. However, when the first signs of bad weather appear, the animal immediately hides in its nest. The squirrel plugs the hole in it and waits out the cold, curled up into a ball. The animal senses the approach of frost very well. They will definitely burst out if the squirrel is not in a hurry to leave its nest in the clear and clear sky during the daytime hours.
How do squirrels winter in extreme cold? Animals almost always hide in their nests, being in a half-asleep state. They leave them only for the feeding period.
Animal nests
How do squirrels winter? For most of the day during the cold period, the animal prefers to stay in tree hollows or in a warm large nest created by it, which is also called a gayn. In this case, the rodent's refuge is located only at high altitudes.
If a squirrel is lucky enough to occupy the hollow of a large tree, then it lines it with soft bedding, for which it uses dry leaves, grass or woody lichens. Animals living in the area build spherical nests from dry branches. Such a hole is also lined with moss, leaves, wool or grass. The diameter of the spherical nest can be from twenty-five to thirty centimeters. It is located, as a rule, in dense branches or in the forks of branches. At the same time, the distance of the shelter from the ground is about fifteen meters. The squirrel also likes to spend the winter in birdhouses.
In winter? The animals take care in advance to survive the cold well. If you visit the forest in the fall, you can see a nimble rodent clutching a bunch of berries or nuts in its teeth. It should be said that animals can easily determine which fruits are suitable for winter harvesting.
Squirrels hide their supplies in deep hollows. This allows them to easily find food for themselves during a hungry period.
In winter, the squirrel happily eats the seeds that it extracts from the cones of coniferous trees. If the year is fruitful, then the animal does not have problems with food, because on many spruce trees you can find entire garlands of cones. Zoological scientists have found that in order to get enough, the animal must gnaw out the seeds from three hundred and eighty pine trees or twenty-eight. The rodent can handle each of them in two to three minutes.
How do squirrels winter if there is a bad harvest? During the food shortage, when autumn supplies run out, they feed on spruce buds or thin tree branches.
If, in order to survive the hungry winter, the animals moved to a city park, then a temporary feeding trough can be made for them. It will serve as an ordinary stand. Food poured into it will help the red rodent survive.
For squirrels, it is best to put seeds and a mixture of hazelnuts, walnuts and pine nuts, as well as a small amount of peanuts in the feeder. An integral part of such a menu will be melon, pumpkin, sunflower and watermelon seeds. In this case, the components should not be salted or fried. Nuts should only be placed in the feeder in their shells.
When feeding squirrels in winter, remember that crackers, chips and almonds, everything fried, salted and smoked are poisonous to them.
Reproduction
Squirrels are very prolific animals. During a season, a rodent living in a temperate climate zone can produce two litters. The mating season begins in rodents in February. At this time, many traces of a restless animal appear in the snow. The front paws leave two small dots, and the hind paws leave thin elongated stripes with imprints of tenacious fingers. It is during the mating season that squirrels run a lot, play hide and seek and perform acrobatic jumps. At the same time, one female is courted simultaneously by several males, who show open aggression towards their competitors.
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