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Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus)

Red Squirrels | Stillwater, MN | View Enlarged Image

Spirited Guardians of Pine Cone Hoards

Red Squirrels are much more aggressive than the larger grays, and will jealously defend their territories from crows, jays, chickadees, hawks, owls, woodpeckers, Gray Squirrels, and even humans! They begin by chirping angrily at intruders, occasionally bursting out into staccato chittering. If the intruder is a bird or other squirrel, they may chase it down, attacking with their razor-sharp teeth. We have seen them fend off Rabbits, Blue Jays, Muskrat, and even Crows when they're at the ground feeder.

While they're tough on the ground, in the trees they're almost without equal! Since Reds prefer to stick to one stockpile and one territory, they tend to know every branch and bough in their part of the forest. By the time most predators can even get a bead on them, they're already an acre away.

Reds have good reason to be defensive of their territory. Unlike Grays, which store nuts in a variety of tree cavities and underground chambers, Reds tend to stick to just one stockpile, usually in a tree cavity, behind a log, or buried just underground. Here, they will store dried pine cones and mushrooms -- a nonperishable bounty that will last them through the winter.

Like their larger cousins, Red Squirrels are great for promoting healthy forests. Their hoards often result in the propagation of many trees and fungus. The litters of pine cone scales they leave while sitting at their favorite perches not only make identification easy, but seem to be an ample mulch and fertilizer for ferns, mushrooms, vines and saplings.

Interesting facts about the Red Squirrel:

• When it comes time for breeding, the female will choose the strongest male she can find. However, she will only mate with that male once. This seems to be nature's way of preventing inbreeding.
• Red Squirrels will often winter underground, building (or simply taking over) underground burrows.
• Like Gary Squirrels, Red Squirrels build nests in trees. They will also inhabit tree hollows, or even large bird houses, which they will line with pine needles and leaves.
• Like other rodents, Red Squirrels will eat bones, horns, and shells. These little 'treats' sort of serve as a calcium supplement.
• Red Squirrels strip the scales from pine cones. Piles of scales and pine cone spines in a coniferous forest is a good indicator of Red Squirrel activity.

Multimedia:

Red Squirrel and Crow battle for Feeder | ( View MPEG-1 Video) | Stillwater, MN

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	National Audubon Society's Field Guide to Mammals
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