Squirrels don't have it easy in winter. Unlike hedgehogs or bats, the rodents also show up in the cold season. They need food all year round. If the winter is severe, the squirrels' survival can be threatened.

Squirrels don't hibernate, they just hibernate

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Do squirrels hibernate?
  3. food in winter
  4. protect squirrels
  5. The Squirrel Year
  6. Design a garden close to nature
  7. frequently asked Questions

    8. the essentials in brief

    • Squirrels don't hibernate, but reduce their activities to use as little energy as possible
    • In winter, squirrels forage for food about every two days
    • In the fall, squirrels gather supplies and dig them up for the winter
    • If you want to help squirrels survive, you can offer them food in winter

    Do squirrels hibernate?

    Winter is often a challenge for squirrels. The animals prepare for the cold season during the summer and autumn months. Despite good precautions, their survival is not always assured. They have to leave their burrow about every two days to feed and defecate.

    How squirrels survive the winter:

    • Body temperature in winter: 37 degrees Celsius
    • dense winter fur protects against frostbite
    • curl up so body is covered by tail
    • waterproof Kobel is insulated with moss, leaves and feathers

    Squirrels only sleep for a day or two before they have to eat

    Hibernation, hibernation or hibernation?

    The automated shutting down of the metabolic processes is hidden behind the hibernation. This is caused by the drop in temperatures in winter and occurs in cold-blooded animals such as fish and reptiles. These organisms adapt their body temperature to the temperature in their environment. In winter, this causes the body temperature to drop and the animals freeze.

    Some creatures with the same temperature, such as bats, hedgehogs or marmots, go into hibernation. They also slow down their metabolic processes. The body temperature drops and heartbeat and breathing also slow down. It can happen that the animals wake up briefly in winter. However, they do not eat during hibernation.

    Squirrels are also active during the winter months. However, they reduce their activity to a minimum so that they don't waste too much energy. This hibernation is a form of hibernation that is broken up by brief waking periods. Metabolism is reduced during these periods of rest, but body temperature is maintained. This entails an increased energy requirement, so that the rodents have to eat in winter.

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    When do squirrels hibernate?

    When the animals go into hibernation depends on the weather conditions. When frosty temperatures and snowfall occur as early as November, the animals retreat to their sleeping nests. This can also shift to December or not occur at all. In mild winter months, when the ground is neither frozen nor covered by a blanket of snow, the animals do not have to reduce their activity. In severe winters, hibernation lasts until February. Normally, the first mating activities can already be observed in January.

    food in winter

    In the fall, squirrels stock up for the winter. If they don't find enough food, the animals can starve to death during the harsh winter months. Store burial is predominantly seen in squirrels living in Central European deciduous and mixed forests. Squirrels in boreal coniferous forests do not show this behavior because there are enough pine and spruce cones available for the animals to feed on.

    create hiding spots

    In Central Europe, the rodents hide their stored supplies in the ground. They often choose a spot near tree roots to make it easier to find again in winter. Sometimes they also use bark crevices or branch forks as a pantry. In contrast, food is never stored in the Kobel. The sense of smell plays an important role in finding hiding places. Nevertheless, it often happens that the squirrels do not find all the hiding places. The seeds will germinate next spring.

    This is how squirrels bury their food:

    1. scratch hole
    2. Put nuts and seeds in
    3. Cover stock with soil
    4. press with paws and snout

    Squirrels bury their food

    food spectrum

    Squirrels are omnivores that do not specialize in any particular food. They eat both plant and animal food. If they can't find their hiding places again in winter and there are no other cones to be found, they eat shoots and buds from trees or mushrooms. Squirrels can digest many fungi that are poisonous to humans.

    digression

    bite and food intake

    Squirrels hold food with their front paws. The covering scales of conifer cones are held with the teeth and torn off. Around 100 spruce cones are processed in this way every day. They take in about 100 grams of food. The average daily requirement of a squirrel is 35 to 80 grams.

    Nuts are opened within a few seconds by the rodents boring a hole in the shell with their lower incisors. As soon as this is large enough, they apply the lower incisors like a lever and blast off a piece of the shell. This behavior is not innate, so young animals first have to learn how to crack nuts.

    Here's how you can protect squirrels

    It's great fun to watch squirrels in the garden. You can offer the animals a place to sleep and raise their young and set up a feeding station. The more dwellings the animals find, the better they feel.

    Kobel feeding place
    height at least five meters two to three meters
    function Protection from enemies, calm convenient cleaning
    suitable locations high tree trunk, branch fork Balcony, hedges, tree roots
    alignment Escape hole faces the trunk Food platform with an unobstructed view

    build Kobel

    If you want to offer the animals a place to sleep, you can build your own hutch. It is important that the dwelling is made of untreated and robust wood. Natural glazes (€66.50) protect the wood from the weather and make it more durable. A Kobel must be waterproof and offer protection against wind and cold. Nevertheless, the material must be able to breathe so that moisture that has penetrated can escape again and does not go mouldy.

    To feed

    Squirrels can be in the winter with nuts

    Squirrels will happily accept feed mixes that are actually intended for birds. So that there is no competition, you can support the animals with a varied range of food. Acorns, beechnuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds are gladly accepted. Raisins and other dried fruits or carrots and corn are not scorned.

    You should not offer fresh fruit and vegetables in winter, as the food can overwhelm the digestive tract. Avoid salted or spiced nut and dried fruit mixtures, as these are not tolerated. Peanuts are also not suitable because of their ingredients.

    tips

    Keep food in the same spot under a tree, or offer nuts and fruit in food boxes. A plate in front of the window is also suitable as a dining table.

    Why feeding makes sense

    If agriculture continues to intensify and private gardens are tidied up, the rodents' food supply is drastically reduced. The lack of habitats pushes the animals into urban areas, but there is also a lack of food here. It therefore makes sense to support the animals with food.

    Per winter feeding:

    • December January: high snow cover and frost prevent access to hiding places
    • January February: pregnant females with high energy requirements
    • March April: first juveniles are foraging

    water

    Even in winter, the rodents have to drink water, but this is difficult to cope with in asphalted urban areas. Therefore, place a bowl filled with water next to the food so that the animals do not die of thirst on dry and sunny winter days. The container should be cleaned daily, otherwise bacteria and viruses will spread quickly.

    Secure potential sources of danger! Rain barrels (€53.99) often represent a deadly trap and should be covered.

    The Squirrel Year

    Squirrels live in the treetops and are diurnal. They build several roosts, which they use for resting and sleeping, as a place of refuge and as a nest for raising their young. The squirrel year begins as early as January or February, when the males make their first advances and look for females willing to mate.

    The young are born early in the year after a gestation period of 38 days. The mother sometimes nurses her offspring until they are eight weeks old. The animals then have to take care of themselves, because squirrels are loners. In rare cases, social behavior can be observed. When winter is coming, the animals retire to their sheltered and warm burrows.

    Design a garden close to nature

    If you have the opportunity, you should leave some areas of the garden to nature. In this way, wild corners can develop and a variety of habitats can arise in which squirrels feel comfortable. They require mature trees and densely branched hedges to provide nesting material and food.

    tips

    Squirrels like to snack on berry bushes or strawberry plants.

    rest period activity phase
    vegetation hazel and walnut trees Fruit trees, berry bushes, wild fruit hedges
    dwellings sleeping cot Feeding station, drinking trough
    Others Refrain from caring for trees and lawns Provide moss, leaves and pieces of bark

    frequently asked Questions

    Do squirrels hibernate?

    Squirrels belong to the group of warm-blooded animals that do not hibernate. Only in the severe winter months do they reduce their activity and go into hibernation. This does not lower the body temperature.

    Where do squirrels hibernate?

    Nests serve as a retreat for rodents. These Kobel are built waterproof and equipped with a warming insulation. They are high up in the treetops and provide a secure shelter from predators.

    Why don't squirrels hibernate?

    The animals cannot shut down their metabolism to such an extent that the body goes into hibernation. Even in winter, squirrels need to eat, because maintaining body temperature requires energy.

    How long do squirrels hibernate?

    The duration of the hibernation depends on the weather. When the first frosts and snowfall appear from November, squirrels withdraw. As soon as the temperatures rise again and the snow melts, the rodents are active again.

Category:

Animals in the garden