Squirrels don't have it easy in winter. Unlike hedgehogs or bats, rodents also show up in the cold season. They need to eat food all year round. If the winter is severe, the survival of the squirrels can be threatened.
Do squirrels hibernate in winter?
Squirrels do not hibernate in the classic way, but rather go into hibernation. They reduce their activity to conserve energy, but still need to eat food. The hibernation period is interrupted by short periods of wakefulness and depends on the external weather conditions.
Do squirrels hibernate?
Winter is often a challenge for squirrels. The animals prepare for the cold season during the summer and fall months. Despite good precautions, their survival is not always assured. They have to leave their coop about every two days to eat and defecate.
How squirrels survive the winter:
- Body temperature in winter: 37 degrees Celsius
- thick winter fur protects against frostbite
- roll up so that body is covered by the tail
- waterproof Kobel is insulated with moss, leaves and feathers
Squirrels only sleep for a day or two, then they have to eat
Winter torpor, hibernation or hibernation?
Behind the winter torpor lies the automated shutdown of metabolic processes. This is caused by the drop in temperatures in winter and occurs in cold-blooded animals such as fish and reptiles. These organisms adjust their body temperature to the temperature of their environment. In winter, the body temperature drops and the animals freeze.
Some equally warm creatures such as bats, hedgehogs or marmots go into hibernation. They also slow down their metabolic processes. The body temperature drops and the heart rate and breathing also slow down. It can happen that the animals wake up briefly in winter. However, they do not consume food 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 interrupted by short periods of wakefulness. Metabolism is reduced during these rest periods, but body temperature is maintained. This results in an increased energy requirement, so that the rodents have to eat food in winter.
Geheimnisvolle Eichhörnchen Doku (2018)
When do squirrels hibernate?
When the animals go into hibernation depends on the weather conditions. When frosty temperatures and snowfall occur in November, the animals retreat to their sleeping nests. This can also move into December or not happen 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 be observed as early as January.
Food in winter
In the fall, squirrels stock up for the winter. If they cannot find enough food, the animals can starve to death in harsh winter months. Burying supplies is mainly observed in squirrels that live 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 places
In Central Europe, rodents hide their collected supplies in the ground. They often choose a spot near tree roots to make it easier to find in winter. Sometimes they also use bark gaps or branch forks as a pantry. However, food is never stored in the Kobel. The sense of smell plays an important role in finding hiding places. However, it often happens that the squirrels cannot find all of their hiding places. The seeds will germinate next spring.
This is how squirrels bury their food:
- Scratching a hole
- Put nuts and seeds inside
- Cover the stock with soil
- 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 cannot find their hiding places again in winter and there are no other cones to be found, they eat shoots and buds of trees or even mushrooms. Squirrels can digest many mushrooms that are poisonous to humans.
Excursus
Dentition and food intake
Squirrels hold the food with their front paws. The cover scales of conifer cones are held with the teeth and torn off. In this way, around 100 spruce cones are processed every day. They consume around 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 drilling a hole in the shell with their lower incisors. As soon as it is large enough, they use their lower incisors like a lever and blast off a piece of the shell. This behavior is not innate, so young animals must first learn to crack nuts.
How to 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 homes the animals have, the more comfortable they feel.
| Kobel | Feeding place | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | at least five meters | two to three meters |
| Function | Protection from enemies, peace | convenient cleaning |
| suitable locations | high tree trunk, branch fork | Balcony, hedges, tree roots |
| Orientation | Escape hole points to the trunk | Food platform with clear view |
Build Kobel
If you want to specifically offer the animals a place to sleep, you can build a coop yourself. It is important that the housing is made from untreated and robust wood. Natural glazes protect the wood from the elements and make it more durable. A Kobel must be waterproof and offer protection from wind and cold. Nevertheless, the material must be able to breathe so that any moisture that has penetrated can escape again and does not become moldy.
Additional feeding
Squirrels can eat nuts in winter
Squirrels like to accept food mixtures (€18.00 on Amazon) that are actually intended for birds. To avoid competition, you can support the animals with a varied range of food. Acorns, beechnuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds are welcome. Raisins and other dried fruits or carrots and corn are not disdained.
You should not offer fresh fruit and vegetables in winter as the food can overwhelm the digestive tract. Avoid s alted or spiced nut and dried fruit mixtures, as these are not tolerated. Peanuts are also not suitable because of their ingredients.
Tip
Always place food in the same place 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
As agriculture continues to intensify and private gardens are cleared up, the rodents' food supply is drastically reduced. Due to the lack of habitat, the animals are forced 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: high energy requirements of pregnant females
- March-April: the first young animals are looking for food
Water
Even in winter, the rodents have to drink water, but this is difficult to manage in asph alted 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 possible sources of danger! Rain barrels often represent a deadly trap and should be covered.
The Squirrel Year
Squirrels live in the treetops and are active during the day. They build several cobs that they use for resting and sleeping, as a place to escape and as a nest for raising young. The squirrel year begins in January or February, when the males make their first approaches and look for females willing to mate.
The young animals are born early in the year after a gestation period of 38 days. The mother sometimes suckles her offspring until they are eight weeks old. The animals then have to look after themselves because squirrels are solitary animals. In rare cases, social behavior can be observed. When winter is just around the corner, the animals retreat to their sheltered and warm shelters.
Design your 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 diverse habitats can be created in which squirrels feel comfortable. They need old trees and densely branched hedges that provide material for nest building and food.
Tip
Squirrels like to snack on berry bushes or strawberry plants.
| Rest phase | Activity phase | |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetation | Hazel and walnut trees | Fruit trees, berry bushes, wild fruit hedges |
| Dwellings | Schlafkobel | Feeding station, waterer |
| Other | Don’t care for trees and lawns | Provide moss, leaves and pieces of bark |
Frequently asked questions
Do squirrels hibernate?
Squirrels are one of the same warm animals that do not hibernate. Only in harsh 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 warm insulation. They lie high up in the treetops and offer safe protection from predators.
Why don't squirrels hibernate?
The animals cannot slow down their metabolism so much that the body falls into hibernation. Even in winter, squirrels need to eat because maintaining body temperature requires energy.
How long do squirrels hibernate?
The duration of hibernation depends on the weather. If the first frosts and snowfall appear in November, squirrels retreat. As soon as the temperatures rise again and the snow melts, the rodents will be active again.
