Why Does a Squirrel Chirp and Croak? 
Ever wondered why does a squirrel chirp and/or croak? If so, you’re not alone. There are many varieties of squirrels, including Flying and Formosan species. Even the Red squirrel and Richardson’s ground squirrel communicate through chirps and whistles. Keep reading to discover the reasons behind this fascinating behavior! We’ll explain why squirrels chirp and croak, and why they might be communicating with each other.
Table of Contents
Formosan squirrels chirp and croak
Formosan squirrels have distinct alarm calls for different types of predators, including birds. They emit a mobbing call when threatened by snakes and large flying birds. This call summons the help of other conspecifics. When a snake attacks a squirrel, they chirp and croak to warn it away. The sounds can be incredibly distressing to the listener, but they have a logical survival reason.
Scientists have been recording the vocalizations of squirrels for decades. Various studies show that these animals produce a wide range of calls. Formosan squirrels’ calls are orange and blue, and they are classified into diurnal and nocturnal. The frequency characteristics are fundmanetal (F0), dominant (FDom), maximum (FMax), minimum, and harmonic (FHarm), with each category representing different frequencies.
Flying squirrels chirp and croak
If you’ve ever noticed a flying squirrel in your yard or on your windowsill, you’ve probably heard its distinctive chirps and croaks. This is their way of warning predators that they’re nearby. They also wave their tails to alert you to their presence. These chirps and croaks can be useful tools for identifying different species, such as shrews, hawks, and coyotes.
There are several types of chirping and croaking sounds produced by flying squirrels. While they’re quieter during the day, they can make ultrasonic sounds to communicate with each other. The chirps of the northern flying squirrel, for instance, can be heard up to 50 feet away. These chirps are alarm signals given by the squirrels to warn off predators, such as cats and birds.
Richardson’s ground squirrel uses ultrasonic alarm calls
Many hawks enjoy hunting the Richardson’s ground squirrel. As such, this species uses alarm calls to signal its presence. These ultrasonic signals are difficult for predators to hear, so they have a high directional range and weaken quickly after a short distance. Despite their high-frequency sound, this species has a highly distinctive and useful alarm call:
The Richardson’s ground squirrel makes two distinct types of alarm calls. One is an annoyance call, given when the conspecific approaches the female. Another type is an aggression call, given during territorial disputes or in close proximity to other conspecifics. In these cases, the ground squirrel may also lash out or use other agonistic visual displays to communicate its aggressive intent. However, this species rarely makes these alarm calls during breeding season, which makes it a prime candidate for monitoring and studying ground squirrel behavior.
Red squirrels communicate through chucks, whistles, and soft notes
While many squirrel species use alarm calls, reds have their own distinctive alarm calls. These noises vary in intensity and sound, and differ between different species. Alarm calls include whistles and barks with broad overtones, and soft notes made by the Thomas rope squirrel. These alarm calls can also be used to communicate with humans or other predators. The type of predator is also important for understanding the specific alarm call, as it is different depending on the species.
When a male or female enters another squirrel’s territory, both of them use vocalization to reject the presence of the other animal. This type of vocalization may cause an adult to take defensive postures or aggravate a juvenile. It is unclear whether the chucking, whistles, and soft notes are used for communication or are intended for aggression. However, it does indicate that male and female squirrels may attempt to intimidate one another.
Red squirrels respond to predators with three kinds of alarm calls
In response to their diverse range of predators, red squirrels in North America produce two variants of three different alarm calls: a bark and a squeal. These alarm calls have conflicting interpretations based on a series of recent studies. Consequently, the aim of this research was to test the core requirement for a functionally referential alarm call: it must elicit distinct escape responses in its target.
Red squirrels have complex alarm call repertoires, which can vary in volume and pitch. The range of these alarm calls reflects varying levels of urgency and are usually accompanied by different kinds of tail signals. In addition to barks, red squirrels also produce seet-barks, intermediate alarm calls. These calls begin like seets, but they add harmonics, ending with a bark. In general, red squirrels use seets and barks to warn aerial predators and dogs.
What is the main reason a squirrel would chirp and croak?
The main reason a squirrel would chirp and croak is to warn other squirrels of potential danger.
What kind of danger might a chirping squirrel be warning others about?
A chirping squirrel might be warning others about a predator in the area.
How do other squirrels know that the chirping squirrel is warning them about a predator and not just making noise?
Other squirrels can understand the chirping squirrel’s meaning by the tone of the chirp and the context in which it is made.
Do all squirrels chirp and croak?
No not all squirrels chirp and croak.
Some squirrels are silent.
How do researchers know that silent squirrels exist?
Researchers know that silent squirrels exist because they have observed them in the wild and in captivity.
Why might a wild squirrel be silent?
A wild squirrel might be silent to avoid drawing attention to itself from predators.
Why might a captive squirrel be silent?
A captive squirrel might be silent because it is not used to its surroundings and is afraid of making noise.
Do all chirping squirrels make the same sound?
No all chirping squirrels do not make the same sound.
Each squirrel has its own unique way of chirping.
How do researchers know that each squirrel’s chirp is unique?
Researchers know that each squirrel’s chirp is unique because they have studied the recordings of many different squirrels’ chirps and found no two that are alike.
What are some of the ways that different squirrels’ chirps can differ?
The ways that different squirrels’ chirps can differ include the pitch duration and patterns of the chirps.
Do chirping and croaking squirrels always make the same sound?
No chirping and croaking squirrels do not always make the same sound.
They can vary their sounds depending on the situation.
What are some of the situations in which a chirping or croaking squirrel might make a different sound?
Some of the situations in which a chirping or croaking squirrel might make a different sound include if it is trying to attract a mate if it is warning another squirrel of danger or if it is trying to scare away a predator.
Do baby squirrels chirp and croak?
Yes baby squirrels chirp and croak.
How do baby squirrels learn to chirp and croak?
Baby squirrels learn to chirp and croak by imitating the sounds of their parents and other adult squirrels.
Can humans learn to chirp and croak like a squirrel?
Yes humans can learn to chirp and croak like a squirrel.
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.
