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"Are you lookin' at me?"
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Squirrels do communicate, by making shrill sounds (tchrring). The pitch and the duration of these sounds have meaning to other squirrels. Tail gestures are also a form of communication. The most common tail gesture is the "flicking" which means "get away!"
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Most squirrels eat nuts, seeds, grain, and fruit. By far their favorite food would be nuts, followed by sunflower seeds.
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Urban squirrel have adapted to eat just about anything, including pizza, luncheon meats and all forms of snack foods - popcorn!
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The squirrel uses its tail for many things, its primary function is for balance. This enables the squirrel to maneuver quickly without falling. It is also used as a parachute, should the squirrel fall. It can act as a blanket in the Winter. Squirrels also use their tail to communicate with other squirrels.
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Squirrels get food from many sources, if there is an abundance of food the squirrel will store it for the future. So, feeding them does not make much difference. The one thing you should "never" do is hold a nut with your fingers for a squirrel to eat. Since the squirrels eyes are on the side of its head, it cannot see what is in front of its mouth. A finger feels about the same as a shelled nut.
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Urban squirrels tend to have a smaller territory, they sometimes have to share resources to survive. They also have learned, to coexist with humans. While rural squirrels are more protective of their territory, and they have more natural predators to deal with.
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On the ground they hop. Usually moving twelve to twenty inches at a time. It is not uncommon for a squirrel to hop or jump up to six feet in one bound. Of course, if you have ever seen a squirrel race through a tree, you know they can easily jump between branches of greater distances.
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Squirrels build nests called "dreys". They are made of twigs and leaves. The interior is lined with fur, feathers or other soft material for comfort. There are normally two exits in this type of nest, and they're built high in a tree between two strong branches. High enough to provide protection from ground predators, but not too high or the nest will be destroyed by the winds. Squirrels also will build a nest, called a "den", in a hollow tree cavity.
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Ah Honey ... these are AWESOME! You know how great I think #1 is. That is tremendous focus on its eye ... the composition ... and shooting from its level (I can still picture us on the ground with these little fellas!) is perfect! I still can't believe you didn't take a picture of my prone on the ground when I was shooting the squirrels! =) I'm so thankful that we got to spend the afternoon together, hanging out shooting pics. It really made my day! Awesome job!
MHJphotos · 2008-03-05: 00:30
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nice shots
PEXRI · 2008-03-05: 01:00
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Wow! #1 is fantastic! But they are all awesome, superb series...
chrisfly · 2008-03-05: 03:03
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I love these - especially #1. How lucky you are that they would come so close to you! We have so many in the trees around our house, but they won't come very close when we're outside. My squirrel photos are taken from my front window.
ncshutterbug · 2008-03-05: 05:29
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magnificent shots. s u p e r b
storytaylor · 2008-03-05: 07:55
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It's funny that you photographed squirrels... I think those of us who see them everywhere take them for granted. When my relatives from Australia were here in USA they took photos of squirrels all the time and thought they were adorable! Nice set!
DancingDolphin · 2008-03-05: 08:08
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Thanks for all the info and I love your shots! #1, 5 and 6 are my picks!
tbranscum · 2008-03-05: 08:58
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Great, great series, but #1 is just fantastic. I love it.
dweiskir · 2008-03-05: 10:31
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That 1st shot should go in National Geographic. Great set.
Lynda · 2008-03-05: 11:46
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Nice set Heidi. Love to learn about new things
bamommy · 2008-03-05: 19:17
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These are awesome shots Heidi! and don't take that lightly because I HATE the squirrels, the little buggers dig up all my flowers. We have a smart aleck that throws acorns at us on our patio also. Some day I'll have to tell you about the squirrel "rumble" between the black and gray squirrels in our front yard.....
picturemom · 2008-03-05: 19:21
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The sharpness, comp and close-up view of #1 is awesome!
TheCrazyCroat · 2008-03-06: 09:28
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cute...love 1 and 3!
Genevieve · 2008-03-06: 16:52
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Awesome shot. I bow to yo!!!!
Queen911 · 2008-03-06: 20:33
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Thank you for the sweet shots. When I was a kid, I used to collect little squirrel statues. I still have some. Our Second Graders just finished their animal reports--your material is way better!
mowestlan · 2008-03-07: 19:34
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They are so cute! Good job!!!
jodycmoore · 2008-03-10: 17:34
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I love the first shot .. wow awesome.. all the shots are so good.. and I never knew that about the nest.. love the cuteness of these shots .. and boy do I feel squirrely today :)!!well night now...!
Lindyart · 2008-03-10: 22:18
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Great serie. Excellent shots!
davidcardona · 2008-03-11: 18:07
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ok, i'm not necessarily a fan of squirrels - but these are pretty darn cute!! especially #1 - i could almost pet it... i said almost. i had a crazy squirrel chase me once. *shudder* so i've kind of held a grudge against all squirrels since then. and thanks for all the info about squirrels - i really enjoyed learning a few things i didn't know! :-)
lexlevans · 2008-03-12: 11:00
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