Any wild species that lives so closely with humans – and has managed to survive – deserves some recognition. So it is with squirrels. Whippy and wily, with arresting eyes and cushioned claws, squirrels are taken for granted. But what do we know about them, except that they chew through wires and attics? (That behavior is apparently a necessity. Their incisors never stop growing, so they gnaw away to file them down.)
Photo by E. Medline
Recently, I visited a small urban park near the Ottawa River to watch black and grey tree squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis). There were more than half-dozen of them there, bouncing across the snow, scaling trunks, hanging upside-down, nibbling, and using their double-jointed hind feet to descend. Several approached me, no doubt thinking I had brought some junk food. When it was clear that wasn’t happening, they stared at me warily, or climbed higher to get away. Squirrels are friendly but cautious, although not too great with cars. Many a time have I risked a rear-ender by slamming on the brakes for some zig-zaggy squirrel jaywalker.
Photo by E. Medline
Really, the bushy tail makes all the difference. If rats had the same sort of tail, instead of the hairless variety, we’d probably find them adorable too. After all, they’re both rodents. Since we haven’t evolved with tails, we humans can’t appreciate the benefits of such an appendage. For squirrels, the tail helps them balance, but it also acts as a parachute when they slip. It’s a blanket in the cold, and a parasol in the heat. And there are other adaptations. Black squirrels are rare in most parts of the world, but appear in colder climates because the darker fur keeps them warmer. On the other hand, grey squirrels are thought to be less noticeable to predators such as birds of prey, so it’s a gamble either way.
Photo by E. Medline
During summer, I’m usually looking down, not up. I might examine the petals of wildflowers or hope to see a millipede. Now it’s winter, and the ground is cloaked in snow. But above, that’s where the interesting action is. Squirrels are grasping with their marvelous long claws, trapeze-swinging from branch to branch, tree to tree, seemingly from cloud to cloud. They are busy the same time we are, in daylight. They amuse us, but more importantly, they remind us that in this desolate season, we have a few neighbours, that we are not here alone.
Photo by E. Medline
Note to readers: I am pleased to report that Memorizing Nature took first prize in the 2011 Canadian Weblog Awards, nature category. Thank you for your support, and be sure to take a look at the other winners here.
