Why do squirrels have fluffy tails

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Ad Choices. Report a digital subscription issue If you are being blocked from reading Subscriber Exclusive content, first confirm you are logged in using the account with which you subscribed. Don't settle for anything less than responsible journalism. Subscribe today. A gray squirrel missing hair from an area of its tail.

By Marcus Schneck mschneck pennlive. The clever rodents are also discerning in what acorns they eat versus what they bury. Red-oak acorns are high in fat and sprout late, so they make ideal candidates for winter storage. White-oak acorns are less nutritious and germinate sooner, so those are often consumed immediately. It has long been believed that squirrels forget their hiding places and are forced to rely on smell to retrieve them. Any acorns still lost would have the chance to grow into trees.

This misconception was tested in a study at Princeton University. Researchers allowed squirrels to hide hazelnuts in an outdoor area. After several days, the animals were released to find their nuts, as well as the hidden acorns of others. The subjects were considerably more capable of finding their own nuts, which showed that while squirrels can find food through odor, memory is a more effective method. The video above shows a potentially more convincing test: Despite the acorn being well within smelling range, the squirrel test subject continuously chooses the empty cup where the acorn used to be.

Squirrels have been observed engaging in altruistic behavior and will sometimes adopt a squirrel pup in need. Through observation and DNA analysis , scientists have discovered that squirrels will sometimes have babies in their nest that are not their own. Despite being solitary creatures, squirrels will raise orphaned babies if they can determine that the pup is closely related.

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Reader Contribution By Elizabeth Gatto. Tags: squirrels , animal tails , wildlife , nature watching , Elizabeth Gatto ,. Continue Reading. Share your thoughts. The Backyard Homestead. They come in black or grey and were introduced to Stanley Park from the east about a hundred years ago. I don't know if squirrel's use its tail to keep the sun off, but the Greek origins of the word " squirrel " mean something like, "one who stands in the shadow of its tail. The squirrel may have lost its tail to a predator.

This person suggests his pet squirrel would use the tail to test out some thing unfamiliar first and thrust out when surprised. Sometimes it can lose some of the tail sheath and a few of the vertebrae to escape the grasp of a predator, perhaps a raccoon, or coyote. The hairs can grow back, but not the meat and bones.

I guess losing your tail is better than losing your life, unless you had extreme self-image issues. The tail helps balance the squirrel as it jumps from tree to tree, and helps it make quick turns or even just resting on a branch. I wonder if this squirrel will now lead a more sedentary life, watching TV in its nest or something.

The fluffy tail can act as a duvet in cold weather.