Where do squirrels live in the winter?
We have been feeding the squirrels acorns all summer and fall but are worried we won't see them in the winter or that they will run out of food. How do they survive the cold winters?
In the winter, squirrels spend less time foraging outside their dens, and it's more common for several squirrels to share a den. Their body temperatures stay mostly constant throughout the year; they don't hibernate. They typically build extremely warm, durable dens to last them through cold winters.
These critters have body temperatures that remain fairly constant throughout the year; they don't hibernate. In the winter, squirrels spend less time foraging outside their dens, and it's more common for several squirrels to share a den.
Squirrels have different behaviors and adaptations to survive the cold winter months. There are several different types of squirrels, but I'll focus on the most common species that you may be familiar with, which is the gray squirrel.
Gray squirrels usually build nests, called dreys, high up in trees. These dreys are made of twigs, leaves, and other materials, providing insulation and protection from the cold weather. Squirrels will spend the winter months inside these cozy nests, which help keep them warm.
In terms of food, squirrels are known for their ability to hoard nuts and seeds. They spend a lot of time during the autumn months gathering and burying food in various locations. This behavior is called caching, and squirrels have an impressive ability to remember where they buried their food. In the winter, when food becomes scarce, they rely on these hidden supplies. They have excellent spatial memory and can locate their caches using landmarks and other cognitive cues.
However, not all of the food they cache is recovered, so squirrels also need to forage for additional sources of sustenance during the winter. They can be opportunistic eaters and may consume buds, bark, fungi, and other plant matter when food is scarce. They are also known to gnaw on tree bark to access the nutritious cambium layer underneath.
So, in summary, squirrels live in nests called dreys, which provide shelter and insulation from the cold. They rely on their cached food reserves and also forage for other available food sources during the winter months. It's normal to see a decrease in squirrel activity during winter, as they tend to be less active and spend more time in their nests, but they are well-equipped to survive the cold season.