How Does a Squirrel Know Where He Buried His Nuts? 
Many people have been wondering, “How does a squirrel know where he hid his nuts?” They assume that they simply scatter-hoard or forget to bury their stashes. But the truth is that they have specific landscapes that they use to bury their food. They map their territory, identify specific places that are good for burying their nuts, and even remember which trees they buried their nuts in. It’s quite amazing how intelligent squirrels can be, considering most people assume that they bury their nuts at random.
Grey squirrels bury and rebury their nuts to keep a fresh memory of the nut’s location
This behavior has two important benefits. When a squirrel finds a nut, he can return to it without having to dig it up again. This helps reforestation efforts, since a tree can sprout after a squirrel has buried its food cache. Besides, if the squirrels are able to find a nut, the resulting nut crop will eventually produce giant trees.
This behavior makes grey squirrels very resourceful when it comes to finding food. They pick a particular area and often rebury their nuts to keep a fresh memory of where they buried it. Interestingly, they use multiple senses to identify the exact location of their caches, including their keen sense of smell. They also peer into the ground, sniff the air, and use their eyes to locate disturbed soil and the scent of nuts.
While fox squirrels can learn to remember a particular nut’s location, gray squirrels have developed a complex feeding strategy. While red squirrels store food in a central location and defend against predators, gray squirrels store their food in separate areas and then retrieve it when it is convenient. While it is true that red squirrels are ‘larder hoarders’ and store food in a single location, gray squirrels spread their caches throughout their large home range.
Red squirrels make false caches if it thinks it’s being watched
Squirrels are highly aware of their surroundings when they are caching, and if they feel humans are watching them, they may make a fake cache. Grey and Red squirrels have also been known to create false caches, and the associated QA has a more detailed discussion of the behavior. Red squirrels are known to make false caches when they think they are being watched, so this may be another factor affecting the size of the caches they make.
Red squirrels cache their nuts as well as other foods and are a larder hoarder. In contrast, gray squirrels scatter their nuts and other food. Red squirrels are also known to store seeds in cones, and may clip hundreds of them from trees. Red pine cones have scales that need to be removed before they can be eaten, but spruce and fir cones have much thinner scales.
Eastern gray squirrels scatter-hoard in confined areas
Squirrels have an elaborate pattern for storing and retrieving food, which is why they tend to cluster or “chunk” their stash. This habit is not unique to gray squirrels, but it differs from other species as well. These animals have the same basic feeding strategy as fox squirrels, but they have different ways of arranging their nuts and caches.
Several species of squirrels, including the red and eastern gray, scatter-hoard their food. During the spring, scatter-hoarded seeds increase red squirrel fitness, and grey squirrels may deplete their caches of high-energy food, reducing red squirrel consumption. Using eMammal cameras, researchers were able to compare the energy intake of these species and determine whether their caches overlap.
Gray squirrels rely on diverse forest ecosystems for shelter and food. However, in modern-day cities, roadways and suburban developments have replaced forests, meadows, and meadows. This means that eastern gray squirrels thrive in areas with dense population density. As a result, they can be common neighborhood residents and often do not bother with nesting sites. They also raid bird feeders, garbage cans, and pet stores.
Eastern fox squirrels store food based on taste and odor
Foraging behavior and storage of food is similar in fox and gray squirrels. Both species store food based on smell and taste. They scatter food near their den or nest, where they can easily reach areas as large as seven acres. They also bury food, which is about 2.5 centimeters below the surface, in the ground. This is a form of food coma.
Female fox squirrels require a lot of calcium, proteins and nuts, which they store based on taste and odor. They also need additional calcium, which they get from meat and nuts. They feed on a diet of mixed fruits and nuts, which are stored based on their smell and taste. However, unlike other squirrels, fox squirrels do not store food based on color alone.
How does a squirrel know where he buried his nuts?
A squirrel uses his sense of smell to remember where he buried his nuts.
How deep does a squirrel bury his nuts?
A squirrel typically buries his nuts 2-5 inches deep.
How many nuts does a squirrel bury?
A squirrel typically buries between 10 and 30 nuts at a time.
Does a squirrel eat all the nuts he buries?
No a squirrel only eats about half of the nuts he buries.
The rest he either forgets about or they are eaten by other animals.
Why do squirrels bury nuts?
Squirrels bury nuts to store them for winter when food is scarce.
How long can a squirrel live?
In the wild squirrels typically live between 4 and 7 years.
How many times can a squirrel have babies in her lifetime?
A squirrel can have 1-8 litters of babies in her lifetime with each litter typically consisting of 2-5 baby squirrels.
What do baby squirrels eat?
Baby squirrels are born blind and deaf and are completely dependent on their mother for food.
For the first few weeks of their life they drink their mother’s milk.
After that they start eating solid food which consists of mainly nuts seeds fruits and insects.
What kind of habitat do squirrels live in?
Squirrels are found in a variety of habitats including forests deserts and urban areas.
What is the largest type of squirrel?
The largest type of squirrel is the giant squirrel which can weigh up to 4 pounds and grow up to 3 feet long.
What is the smallest type of squirrel?
The smallest type of squirrel is the chipmunk which typically weighs between 1 and 5 ounces and is about 6 inches long.
How many different types of squirrels are there?
There are more than 200 different types of squirrels.
What do squirrels do during the day?
During the day squirrels are usually active searching for food and eating.
What do squirrels do during the night?
During the night squirrels typically sleep in their nests.
What is the lifespan of a squirrel in captivity?
In captivity squirrels typically live between 10 and 20 years.
Jessica Watson is a PHD holder from the University of Washington. She studied behavior and interaction between squirrels and has presented her research in several wildlife conferences including TWS Annual Conference in Winnipeg.
