Come See the Squirrels!
Squirrels? Yes! We have a fun family of squirrels that help entertain our staff and patients. You can sit back and watch the squirrels through our large open windows. We have the friendliest squirrels in town and they don't mind providing a show for our patients. Stop by and see our staff feed the squirrels by hand!

Squirrel Information...

There are three types of squirrels, the ground squirrel, the flying squirrel and, the tree squirrel. Of the ten species of tree squirrels in the northern hemisphere. The most common are the Eastern Gray, followed by the Red squirrel, the Fox squirrel, the Abert or Kaibab squirrels, Douglas squirrel, Pine squirrel, Japanese squirrel, Persian squirrel, Arizona gray, and of course the Western gray squirrel.

Squirrels do not hibernate. Tree squirrels are active all year round. You may not see them as often in the Winter, since they stay in their nests to conserve body heat. About the only sure way to tell the sex of a squirrel is to turn it over and look.

The squirrel uses its tail for many things, its primary function is for balance. This enables the squirrel to maneuver quickly without falling. It is also used as a parachute, should the squirrel fall. It can act as a blanket in the Winter. Squirrels also use their tail to communicate with other squirrels. Do squirrels talk? Squirrels do communicate, by making shrill sounds (tchrring). The pitch and the duration of these sounds have meaning to other squirrels. Tail gestures are also a form of communication. The most common tail gesture is the "flicking" which means "get away!"

Most squirrels eat nuts, seeds, grain, and fruit. By far their favorite food would be nuts, followed by sunflower seeds. Urban squirrel have adapted to eat just about anything, including pizza, luncheon meats and all forms of snack foods. Squirrels have been known to eat bird eggs, but this is a last resort. When natural food is scarce, they will eat anything they can find.

Squirrels do fall, but they use their tail as a parachute and when they land their tail is used as a cushion. They rarely get hurt from a short fall. But they can sustain broken bones, or severe spinal injuries from a awkward landing. Squirrels swim using a "dog paddle" motion, and their tail as a rudder. Swimming is very strenuous for a squirrel, and it's not done unless absolutely necessary.

Squirrels build nests called "dreys". They are made of twigs and leaves. The interior is lined with fur, feathers or other soft material for comfort. There are normally two exits in this type of nest, and they're built high in a tree between two strong branches. High enough to provide protection from ground predators, but not too high or the nest will be destroyed by the winds. Squirrels also will build a nest, called a "den", in a hollow tree cavity. Squirrels in captivity have lived to be twenty years old. Most Gray squirrels will die before their first birthday, not due to predators or the lack of food. But by being run over by vehicles. If they survive their first year, they should live five or six more years. Squirrels die for a variety of reasons, usually a natural death occurs while the squirrel is hiding or in its nest.

Baby squirrels are born in the spring, without fur. They're blind, and weigh in at one or two ounces each. There are usually four in a liter. The mother will keep the young in the nest and nurse them until they're ready to venture out of the nest, on their own. This is usually in eight to ten weeks. You may see a mother squirrel move her babies, she will carry them by mouth, one at a time. Squirrels are solitary animals. They do not have a hierarchical structure, and therefore, no group name has been established. Young squirrels are called babies or infants while in the nest. Then for their first year they're referred to as Juveniles. After their first year, they become adults and are simply called squirrels.

Squirrels claim an area, usually one to seven acres in size. They will build their nest in this space. They will find, and store their food in this area. The squirrel must keep other squirrels from invading this space. Squirrels mark their territory by urinating on the surrounding trees. This warns an intruding squirrel, that it's trespassing.

Gray and Fox squirrels hide their food in many places, so if another squirrel or animal were to find it, the entire year's supply would not be lost. Sometimes they hide food temporarily, until they can move it to a more convenient location. This is called "scatter hoarding". The Red and Pine squirrels will dig a shallow pit, this is referred to as a "midden" where they store the cones they've cut or found. This supply will then be covered with leaves, or other debris, which creates a cold and moist storage environment. This practice is known as "larder hoarding".

Squirrels do not make good pets. Although squirrels can, and do live in captivity. It is an unnatural environment for them. They need to run and climb. They make poor house pets since their sharp claws, and teeth can do a great deal of damage. They can even harm a human unintentionally. It would be cruel to keep a wild animal caged where it cannot mate or interact with other animals. On the other hand, squirrels kept in a cage for study or treatment will often live longer then their wild counterpart, since there are no worries about food, water, or weather. Most Cities, Counties and States have rules about keeping wild animals as pets. A permit is often required. It would be best to inquire before you try to adopt a disabled squirrel.

In the United States the largest concentration of squirrels is in Washington, D.C. Specifically, in Lafayette Park across from the White House. Some call it the "Squirrel Capital" of the World. Squirrels roam free and are well feed by the thousands of Government employees and visitors that tour the park daily.