Hermione was born around Jand she was either pushed or fell from her nest. Some background info in case anyone is curious: So, feeding high energy foods, like avocado, in Winter helps immensely in their ability to survive Winter. Squirrels with limited food supplies will stay in their dens or drays on enter brief periods of Torpor, ( hibernation.) If they are severely malnourished, they will usually die off from pneumonia or exposure. But, this ability burns a lot of calories, so, feeding high energy foods in winter is the number one, best way to insure that your squirrels will stay warm. If we could do that, we'd be comfortable shoveling snow in our swim suits and flip flops. When the weather moderates, everybody goes back to their own den or dray.Īnd last but not least, a squirrel has the ability to crank up their metabolism to 7 times normal.

In bitter cold, they revert to their babyhood practice of sleeping together in the warmest den. They also grow winter hair, which they shed starting in March. They gorge on acorns in the Fall, which are high in carbohydrates, so they gain a layer of insulating fat. This valve keep warm blood in the main part of the body in winter. Squirrels also have several unique physical characteristics that keep them warm in the winter, like a blood valve at the base of their tail that restricts blood flow to a minimum in winter and is wide open in summer. The many layers they put into the nest traps air which helps to insulate it. When leaves are dry, they shed water and will not re hydrate. Squirrels make their nests from dry leaves, twigs, dry grasses, and when they have babies, they pull hair from their own body while they are gestating to line their nests in preparation for giving birth. I just had a lady write and ask about how squirrels stay warm in Winter. So, even in captivity, they continue this instinctive ritual! She's up bright and early in the morning for a couple hours, and then a couple hours in the evening. My resident blind squirrel, Lucky, pictured above, will often nap and sleep 18 to 20 hours per day. This characteristic has been termed 'splatting,' in that they often will spread out their legs and feet and appear to have landed 'splat' in that position.

During the day they will often lay very still in a cool shady spot and nap. This behavior is seen even in captive squirrels. I made a hyperlink of the title for any that would be interested to view it!Įven during warm weather, squirrels are most active in the early morning and late afternoon. I made a video titled,' How Squirrels Stay Warm In Winter ,' that shows this communal sleeping arrangement exhibited by a pair of females I released a few years ago, along with some other facts about how they stay warm in winter. My suspicion is that it is divided upon sex lines, IE., females group together and males group together, because it has been my observation that females will not tolerate males at any time except mating season. Even though squirrels can be territorial, this rule is dropped when the weather turns bad. This communal sleeping arrangement carries over into adulthood, especially when it is bitter cold. If you have ever raised more than one baby squirrel, you know that they sleep in a ball of bodies and keep each other warm. It is a characteristic they learned when they were babies. This is the main way squirrels stay warm in Winter, and how they manage to survive during the coldest of Winters.

When I say that they stay hunkered down with their friends during bitter cold weather, that's exactly what I mean. ( Yes, it is estimated that a squirrel will find and bury 3 years worth of food every Summer and Fall!) They are the ultimate survivalists! When there is a break in the weather, they will venture out to retrieve some of the three years worth of food they squirreled away during the Summer and Fall. Squirrels do not hibernate in winter, but they do not like bitter cold weather, so they will stay hunkered down in their den or drey when it is really cold, opting to stay warm with their friends rather than venture out.

The short answer is, 'No, squirrels do not hibernate, but they do sleep a lot!'

Do squirrels hibernate in october