Do they watch you curiously through the window? Do they remind you that this is the time of gathering food for the winter, which they later carefully store or bury? Although they don’t go into true hibernation like hedgehogs, during the cold winter months they spend more time in their nests, coming out only to dig up the food they’ve buried. Their bodily functions slow down to a minimum, breathing and heart rate become extremely slow, and their body temperature drops. It is important for these animals to build up enough energy reserves in the fall, find a safe place to hide during winter, and quickly find food again after waking up in spring. Have you ever wondered how they manage to find all those places where they buried walnuts, hazelnuts, or acorns? When nothing else is available, they gladly eat different berries, and even mushrooms. Although their ability to find buried nuts, acorns, or sunflower seeds—even under snow—is remarkable, they still often forget many of the hiding spots, and that is when new trees begin to grow in those places, or new mushrooms and berry shrubs start to sprout. Have you noticed that before?
Common squirrels are typical forest animals, but they can also often be found in parks and even in our cities. They build nests high in trees, often in branch forks or tree hollows. Squirrels are mostly active during the day—they are diurnal animals—and they are highly territorial. Although they are wild animals, some can become quite tame around humans, especially if they are regularly fed. So if you make an effort, whether in parks, forests, or your garden, and leave nuts in the same spots, there is a good chance you’ll get to enjoy their company. They are very resourceful and hyperactive, and they show traits of complex personalities, similar to humans, so they can express emotions like anger, aggression, shyness, and even calculation.
Their small feet with sharp claws and five toes on each paw help them climb skillfully, while their continuously growing incisors must be worn down by constant gnawing. The color of their fur ranges from reddish-brown to gray and black, and they can live up to 10 years.
They can jump distances of several meters, using their hind legs to push off.
