Squirrel Behavior

[5-Shot]

I just spent the last 15 minutes watching a display that I have never seen before, never even suspected and would have probably bet against ever happening. Two obviously young squirrels were on the ground under a small oak tree mock fighting. One would lie still, but alert, while the other backed off and then mounted a bounding charge, employing a series of high leaps. The charge ended in with a "ball" of squirrels rolling furiously through the grass. Then they'd break off, separate and do it again. It looked exactly like a couple of puppies at play. They'd also face each other, standing on the hind legs and spar like kittens. Best of all was when one squirrel hung suspended from a low hanging branch by one "hand" and slapped at his adversary still on the ground.

Like the rest of you, I've seen young squirrels furiously chase each other round and round tree trunks many time. This was entirely different from that.

I had always assumed that pup and kitten battles were kindergarten training for young predators. Who knows? Perhaps all animals do it. I'm going to keep a closer eye on the young Angus calves across the fence. Maybe I can catch a couple of them "going for the throat".

What about it. Anyone else seen this?

 

[sipowicz]

If I had seen it, I would have said hello to you...

 

[NFrameFred]

Tree rats are funny critters; I've watched them from close range when I was in full camo during bow season and seen them do some nutty things. I'd seen them spar before but I've never witnessed the "attack" game you saw.

I had one approach me on a limb that ran down close to head level when I was in a tree stand - he (she?) knew something was 'different' and was curious but not alarmed. I didn't move until the squirrel was to within about 18" from me. I moved very slowly and pulled the camo veil up that had been hiding my face and it sat transfixed, only twitching it's whiskers until I very softly said "Boo!". It laid back on the limb like it had a heart attack for about two full seconds before running back about 6 feet and cursing me in squirrel chatter . . . .

 

[Jst1mr]

Never seen that scene before, but as stated, they do some crazy things. I have to "thin" the ranks sometimes in my yard, and I have seen a live squirrel furiously attack one who has recently met his demise. Recently, I saw a recently deceased squirrel lying beneath the bird feeder being ferociously attacked by a terrible predatory chickadee! Upon closer examination with binocs, the chickadee was harvesting squirrel hair for a luxurious nest lining....go figure.

 

[jimmyj]

In my youger days I liked to hunt squirrels. One day a friend told me that when a squirrel died,was shot, they died in a praying position (front paws together. I checked and found this to be true. From that time on I never killed another one. or any other animal or bird.

 

[venomballistics]

never underestimate critters ....
I was fishing a river at the time. The bank opposite my position was a large steep hillside well shaded by trees with minimal ground cover. Probably just enough root system to stave off erosion.
The the otters came ...
Theyd climb from the river up that hill and back down to slip back into the water. Well those critters tracked water up the slope doing this and after about 15 minutes they had a muddy track running up the hillside and instead of crawling down, they took to sliding .... for the next good hour and a half they kept at this activity with great exuberance so that water could be seen running down the slide they had made.
it served no logical purpose other than to play, which I am convinced was their sole objective on that beautiful day in Summer.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Have not seen that behavior, but I HAVE seen this, as has anyone who has been to a boat show in the south .

YouTube - ‪Twiggy the Water Skiing Squirrel‬‏

 

[anothermiller]

Squirrels are funny critters.Ive often sat and watched them do their thing and amazed at how they can figure out how to get into a a bird feeder that was previously made squirrel"resistant".

Ive seen them playing as you describe,even raised a few myself.They are quite a handful and hilarious to watch.Ive since released them and they still give me a scolding "chir!"when im outside.

 

[P&R Fan]

I love the little guys. I remember at my Grandparents almost 40 years ago we had a squirrel we named Alex. He would take peanuts from your hand, and I have a picture of him sitting on my knee as I'm handing him a peanut. It got so he would climb up on the screen door and make a racket till we let him in. He knew the cabinet where the peanuts were, and he would wait to get one. We also had a tame one at my parents house about 25 years ago.
After these experiences I have never been able to shoot one. I remember I was about 12 and I was out in the woods with my .22 rifle. Saw a squirrel run part way up a tree. He stuck his head out and stayed still. I was about 20 feet away and had a bead on his head. I sat there with my finger on the trigger for a long time, until I finally lowered the gun. I just couldn't do it, it was too easy, and doggone it, he was cute. I've never even had one in my sights since, and that's fine with me.
I love to hunt, but not squirrels. Guess I'm just a big 'ol softy.
Jim

 

[venomballistics]

I love the little guys. I remember at my Grandparents almost 40 years ago we had a squirrel we named Alex. He would take peanuts from your hand, and I have a picture of him sitting on my knee as I'm handing him a peanut. It got so he would climb up on the screen door and make a racket till we let him in. He knew the cabinet where the peanuts were, and he would wait to get one. We also had a tame one at my parents house about 25 years ago.
After these experiences I have never been able to shoot one. I remember I was about 12 and I was out in the woods with my .22 rifle. Saw a squirrel run part way up a tree. He stuck his head out and stayed still. I was about 20 feet away and had a bead on his head. I sat there with my finger on the trigger for a long time, until I finally lowered the gun. I just couldn't do it, it was too easy, and doggone it, he was cute. I've never even had one in my sights since, and that's fine with me.
I love to hunt, but not squirrels. Guess I'm just a big 'ol softy.
Jim

nah ... just makes you picky
faced the same thing with a feral kitten a few years back. My hold was rock solid on its chest and its look of defiance made that 629's single action trigger impossible to pull.
I opted for a net instead ... "LT" has been the finest pet I've ever had take possession of me
Its not without its rewards sir

 

[JcMack]

There's a whole bunch of these videos I saw on the BBC

YouTube - ‪Daylight Robbery 2 - Part 1 of 4 (Grey Squirrels)‬‏

 

[Texas Star]

nah ... just makes you picky
faced the same thing with a feral kitten a few years back. My hold was rock solid on its chest and its look of defiance made that 629's single action trigger impossible to pull.
I opted for a net instead ... "LT" has been the finest pet I've ever had take possession of me
Its not without its rewards sir

You were going to shoot a kitten with a .44 Magnum?!
Well, I guess that using enough gun!

 

[32 Magnum]

Could you shoot one of these little critters?

 

[mod34]

A family of squirrels got into our 3rd floor attic last year and really made a huge mess...........I'm not nearly as sympathetic as some since then

 

[JoseyWales2]

The funniest thing I've ever seen is when a couple of bluejays started divebombing and harassing a squirrel in my backyard. I'm convinced they did it just for pure devilment.

Those tree rats are just a nuisance where I live and I need to "thin the herd" a bit every year.

 

[venomballistics]

You were going to shoot a kitten with a .44 Magnum?!
Well, I guess that using enough gun!

yeah .. it would have been a fantastic plume of crimson mist. However that was the point where I grew tired of wasting things without purpose. so, more to the point, I had "unused" enough gun and just opted to accept being overrun by cats for that year.
as an added bonus to not making the squeeze ... the garden had the lowest amount of critter damage in history. Bumper crop of peppers tomatoes and lettuce ... the bacon tree didnt take though
but even with just 2 out of 3, the BLT's were exquisite

 

[Iggy]

You live in the country long enough and you see many amazing things.

Antelope ganging up on a coyote, coyotes playing tag, calves, and lambs having a great ol time. Getting chased out of a tree while trying to get a picture of a pair of baby iggles. That ol girl was plumb serious.

Old farts shooting big guns and amazing distances. There just ain't no end to it.

 

[rodeo kid]

I have 5 acres and lots of mature trees, so lots of squirrels. I breed min. schnauzers and the squirrels will run down a tree trunk to tease the dogs, jumping back up when the dogs jump at them. This can go on for 30 minutes. I also have an Italian Greyhound and even though this is a min. breed he has springs for legs and can bound straight up to the top of a 4 foot fence to get a treat. To make a long story short Schnauzers can jump maybe 2 feet. Squirrel was about 2 feet above the ground on tree trunk teasing a Schnauzer and Rascal(IT) came up and snatched him in mid air. It looked pretty cool, wish I had it on film.

 

[27145]

I just cut down a diseased and dying tree, inside the tree trunk, I found a squirrel proof bird feeder. They took it and I guess snacked on it at their leisure.

 

[CajunBass]

I think squirrels are a riot to watch. The campground where I work has hundreds, if not thousands of them. We call them "Geico Squirrels" for the way they run in front of cars and golf carts. I could laugh at them for hours. Same with where I live back here in the woods.

Doesn't stop me from hunting them though.