A to Z challenge 2023 – S is for . . .
My
theme for this challenge is Nature in all much of her wonderful
diversity. My posts will reflect the fact that I am resident in the south of
England.
All
photographs in this post are the property of the writer.
Squirrels
(Sciurus carolinensis)
Grey
squirrels were introduced from North America to the British Isles by the
Victorians in the 19th century. They were first reported as escaping
and setting up a wild population in 1876. Since then they have expanded exponentially
across the British Isles, driving our native red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) out into wilder, remoter areas.
Red squirrels
have lived in Great Britain for more than 10,000 years and conservation
projects have been active for decades to protect them from the advance of grey
squirrels.
Demonised
by many as tree rats and vermin, grey squirrels continue to enchant the less
pragmatic among us, as they chase each other up and down tree trunks or sit on
branches high above and scold us.
The Irish
poet, W.B.Yeats, wrote ‘To a Squirrel at Kyle–Na-No’ in 1917.
Come play with me;
Why should you run
Through the shaking tree
As though I’d a gun
To strike you dead?
When all I would do
Is to scratch your head
And let you go.
Squirrels
have double-jointed ankles which allow them to change the angle of their sharp-clawed
feet, an important asset for moving quickly up and down trees. Their broad
tails, almost as long as the body of the animal, are an important aid to
balance as they leap from tree to tree, although squirrels who have lost part
or even the entirety of their tails do not seem to be adversely affected.
The major
part of a squirrel’s diet consists of nuts and seeds, though they will supplement
those with flowers, pine cones, buds and sometimes nestlings and eggs. They are
intelligent animals, attracted to gardens whose owners take pleasure in feeding
birds and are expert at finding ways of appropriating food not intended for
them. They defy human efforts to deny them access to feeders, defeating even
the most elaborate protective devices.Autumn preparations
for winter involve them collecting and caching acorns and nuts underground to
be unearthed when food becomes scarce. They have been observed pretending to
bury food in an effort to deceive squirrels that may be watching, so that their
actual supply remains safe.
Squirrels
are not aggressively territorial and can live together quite peaceably in an
area, though this may change in the breeding season. Usually, there are two
litters of three or four kits in February and March, and again in June and July.
The kits are born in the drey (nest)
and are blind, deaf and naked and completely helpless at birth. At four weeks
of age their eyes are open and at six weeks they start to explore beyond the
drey. By the time they are eight weeks old, they look more like their parents, and
begin foraging. They become independent at around twelve weeks.
Contrary to
popular belief, squirrels do not hibernate. If the weather is exceptionally
cold they may sleep longer in their nests, with their tails wrapped around
themselves for extra warmth, before venturing out to dig up their food larders.
Perhaps one
of the most famous squirrels in literature is Beatrix Potter’s Nutkin, in The
Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, (1903) a
naughty, aggravating little squirrel who refuses to help, and loses his tail to
Old Brown, the owl.
Tufty Fluffytail
is RoSPA’s (Royal Society for the
Prevention of Accidents) red squirrel character who entertained and
educated millions of children about road safety from the 1950s to the 1990s.
The Tufty
Club, formed in 1961, also gave invaluable advice about child safety in the
home and around water. A plethora of merchandise helped to keep Tufty in the
public eye.
Tufty is
still working, still trying to keep young children safe, with updated advice, including
giving warnings about the potential distraction of mobile devices.
Squirrels,
both red and grey, have contributed much to life in the UK.
