How could I resist a face like that? I don't understand how anyone can. I do think that I may be in a minority, when ever anyone visits my home and sees the number of squirrels that are freely eating from my feeders, no barriers to stop them, they are quite unhappy! They say things like, I hate squirrels, why do you feed them, rats with hairy tails, they even bang on the windows to scare them. Where does the animosity come from? I find them cute and endearing. This morning when I got up and was pouring my cup of coffee, and there was one squirrel knocking on my kitchen window...he was hungry and letting me know it! I loved that he knew who brought him his food. I promptly went out and filled all my feeders and soon had a dozen gray guys out there. This Winter we actually have a few squirrel nests in the yard. We don't suffer any damage from them, except the one last Summer that decided to chew in to our back closet and give birth to three babies in an old laundry basket while we were on vacation, after I discovered the nest, she promptly moved them. I will be getting my wildlife rehabilitation license this coming Spring and I might just specialize in the dreaded Gray Squirrel!
Domain:Eukarya
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Rodentia
Family:Sciuridae
Genus:Sciurus
Subgenus:Sciurus
Species:S. carolinensis
Sizes
Body length: 9-12 in.
Tail length: 7-10 in.
Weight: 12-28 oz.
Breeding
Sexual Maturity: 11 months.
Gestation: About 44 days.
Litter size: Usually 3, but up to 9.
Females may have 2 litters a year, 1 in March or April and the other in June or July.
Lifestyle
Habit: Tree-dwelling, but spends much of it's time on the ground.
Diet: Mainly tree seeds.
Call: Chattering and piercing scream.
Lifespan: 3-4 years.
Today........Big Pete and I did a snowshoe up at Cascade Lake Park. Very hard going due to the hard Ice crust on top of the few inches of snow. We were the only ones to forge a trail most of the way. Petey seemed very happy, I think he was following a coyote trail. Came home, had a very relaxed Doberboy...worth the crappy conditions to just do it and get out there! Oh and on a side note....my Euro Doberman has for the very first time ever at 27 months old has decided to chase his first Squirrel! He was very bored today after me working Wed/Thurs day and laying on my lap watching the craziness out back with a dozen squirrels fighting for the premo spots for food, and suddenly decided....MOMMY LET ME OUTSIDE!! ....I've always been happy that Petey never bothers our feeder birds nor the squirrels....might this be over??? He is so good he even watches my 20 Turkeys feeding. No desire to head out and chase them....could start tomorrow!!
2 comments:
I also have a large liking for squirrels. When I was young in Ottawa, my dad noticed a squirrel that looked like it had been electrocuted, he was missing patches of hair and most of his tail. He looked so sad. My god ol softie dad ( all 6'4 350lbs of him...) started placing special nuts on the window ledge for said squrriel. I think we named him volt...
Everyday Volt would come and gather his special treats, cashews, bird seed, pumpkin seeds, whatever dad left. He survived the entire winter and even grew back some fur. The next year, there he was again, little eyes staring in the kitchen window waiting patiently for his special treats.
Dad still feeds the squirrels. I never chase them from my feeders and even have a squirrel feeder that has full peanuts in it.
That is a very sweet story...thank you for sharing it!! ox
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