Squirrels at the Feeder

If you haven’t noticed it before, chipmunks tend to disappear as the temperatures drop, and we enter into the cold months. They then resurface during March or April when it is spring again. If a particular animal disappears for the winter then you might think that it is hibernating. But what about these guys…Do chipmunks hibernate?

Chipmunks are not true hibernators but they do enter states of torpor.  Chipmunks retreat to their burrows and enter a hibernation type state but wake up every few days to eat and defecate. So, instead of hibernating, you can term chipmunks as ‘light sleepers’.

Of course, this brings up another question: How do chipmunks survive in winter?  Surprisingly enough, chipmunks will use a variety of survival tactics to make it through the cold months. Let’s take a look at what these are and how they help chipmunks survive in the winter.

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If you ever find yourself in Japan and you want to have a little squirrely fun, then head out to the woods and see if you can spot the flying squirrels!  It turns out that Japan has two types of flying squirrels, the Dwarf and the Giant, and I think they both are pretty interesting.

Let’s take a look at some facts about Japanese Flying Squirrels and see what makes them special.

Japanese Dwarf Flying Squirrel Facts (Pteromys momonga)

Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way….These things are cute as heck!

The Japanese Dwarf is found in the forests of Honshu and Kyushu islands in Japan.  These animals grow to a length of about 8 inches and a weight of 150-220 grams (less than half a pound). [Read more…]

I have been interested in flying squirrels ever since watching the Rocky and Bullwinkle show as a kid.  I did a little research and discovered  that there are 43 species of flying squirrels in the world. Most of these can be found in Asia, and only two (Northern and Southern) are native to the United States of America.

Flying squirrels are fascinating creatures and are distinct from their non-flying family members in several ways.  Let’s take a look at some interesting facts about flying squirrels!

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Sugar Gliders and Flying Squirrels are both cute little animals that are popular pets.  Sugar gliders looks remarkably similar to the flying squirrels found in the US but in reality, these two animals are extremely different.  Let’s take a quick look at the differences between these two species.

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When I first started writing these squirrel articles I kept getting confused when I was reading about red squirrels.  I was seeing contradictory information about these things and was having a hard time understanding why some people are highly passionate about them.

And then I figured it out.

It turns out that there are three different types of squirrels that are commonly referred to as “Red Squirrels” and there are significant differences between them. [Read more…]

Many people say that squirrels are basically rats that were handed a better deal in terms of cuteness.  While I agree that squirrels are much cuter than rats, the question remains, “How different are they?”  It turns out that rats and squirrels belong to completely different animal Families but they are related in that they are both Rodents.  Here is a look at some similarities and differences between these animals.

Squirrels and rats are distinct Families both belong to the largest Order of Mammals, Rodentia.  All Rodents have specialized teeth for gnawing that constantly are growing.  Both Families exhibit intelligence, problem solving and memory. Other than their teeth and mental capacities squirrels and rats have little in common in terms of behavior, life cycle and impact on humans.

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I love woodpeckers and have been delighted that we have started making and selling woodpecker feeders at The Squirrel Shop!

Here are a dozen wonderful bird feeders that your woodpeckers will love 🙂  The first few products are made by us at The Squirrel Shop but I included other options are well to make sure you had plenty to choose from!  All of the bird feeders listed have a reasonable price and are a great way to bring nature a little closer to your home.

Dual Compartment Deck Rail Feeder for Woodpeckers and Blue Jays

This is my absolute favorite bird feeder that keeps a steady stream of red headed and red bellied woodpeckers coming up to my house.

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