h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I know Squirrels don't like fish as I saw one take a few bites of some fish in batter in my garden and threw it away, unlike the chicken leg, spring roll and large chunk of pizza which they loved, however just where do they sleep? I have never seen one with a sleeping bag nor hotel tickets. I suspect they don't sleep on ground as too risky. Come to that where do they poo as often see birds poo from branches but never a Squirrel?
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So have you ever seen a squating Squirrel pooing or asleep in your shed!

They don't sleep. At night they shift into a dimension of pure consciousness.

...and the thread title belongs on Ed Bonobo's list of Chomskyan Bingo.

Ordinarily they will sleep in holes in trees, although during the winter and when breeding they build a drey, which is a ball-shaped nest made of twigs and leaves.



MMF

Chomskyan? Is that like chomping on food?
Seriously though Squirrels are fascinating creatures and provide hours of entertainment. The nearest I have been to seeing one pooing was when one was rubbing its stomach in dirt but suspect that as they do a lot of things for fun it was actually playing not pooing! They seem to simply like running around and up and down small trees and grappling with twigs for the sheer pleasure, a bit like when they sunbath on a branch in sunshine for ages and watch the world go by.
Since they all appear the same it is hard to tell them appart but have noticed one has particulary white fur inside its ears. I also noticed that some have boobs so hopefully they are the females!

fast-food, junk food squirrel!

It certainly is fast food, well more quick food really. The chicken, fish, etc was pinched by squirrels from bins that are only a quick hop from the shed roof where they eat the food bold as brass. When you look at them through binos they have these weird long paws covered in hair, which must keep them warm like rest of body.

I remember seeing a squirrel dangling from a tree branch around head height holding on with just its back paws. I was going to a lecture at nine o'clock (I know, it's impressive!) and the squirrel was obviously surprised to see anyone walking around campus at that time. It was just dangling there like it had been strung up by its hind legs, then hauled itself up and scampered away when it saw me. I actually thought it was dead until it moved .

I recently saw a doco on tv about squirrels - wild gourmets, or something where they were eating the grey ones. The grey squirrels are pushing the reds away - heard anything similar?

Yes that is true in UK since the American Grey was introduced around a hundred years ago, however it is now too late to stop the Greys. It isn't so much the Greys are pushing the Reds out it is just that I understand Greys are better at foraging for anything and better at breeding than Reds..

Strewth, the squirrel in my garden must have read the junk food comment and popped up on the shed with a large pancake made from brown flour this afternoon. Ok it wasn't totally healthy as the pancake was as big as the squirrel and it had a job carrying it but at least it was made from wholemeal flour!

I found out today that Squirrels like sniffing propane gas. Thay attack propane fittings and get high on the stuff even addicted. Any one come accross this before.

Just saw a strange looking Squirrel sitting on top of my garden tree, it was a woodpigeon. Strewth, think I have eaten too many mince pies!

Squirrels do poo - I've had the pleasure of being in between one of the blighters and the call of gravity when it relieved itself. Wasn't too bad though, it was like a hard pellet - no splattering.

There are two problems with reds vs greys. First is that the greys are larger and physically stronger than the reds and will kill them. The second is that many grey squirrels carry around a virus which is fatal to reds but which they're immune to.

I was taught as a kid to kill greys on sight as I grew up near Formby woods, one of the last reserves of the reds, which is now under threat.

I now know were Squirrels sleep!
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Well to be honest I know where one was sleeping. I have a fir tree in my gardenn that was trimmed by a tree surgeon and a Squirrel was asleep upright hanging on a verticle branch with paws cuddling it! It seemed to be enjoying the brief sunshine and dozing off and scratched its head when it woke up.

They don't sleep, they're too evil to sleep. Sleep would get in the way of their plan to take over the plannet and make us slaves to do their bidding. Evil critters, don't ever trust a Squirrel, not even if your life depends on it, they may look all innocent with their twitchy noses and long swishy tails but theire evil, really evil, more evil than a really evil person who's just won the world-wide Mr Evil competition for the forth year on the trott.

Squirrels live in Dreys. Bit like a Magpie's nest. I also believe some Americans are partial to eating them.

Apparently during dry weather when no smoking is allowed in woods due to the fire hazard. Squirrels have been oserved to become very aggressive amongst themselves and other animals even attacking humans. The theory is that they are addicted to the nicotine they get from eating the vegetable matter in discarded cigarette ends denied them during the smoking bans.

If you want to know where squirrels sleep all you have to do is look up there latin name for a clue: Ratus treeum.

'Twas indeed a sweet Squirrel, the one asleep in the tree, even though it was a boy Squirrel. They are guaranteed to raise a smile as actually seem to enjoy playing for playing's sake. I was watching one the other day that was running across lawn to leap on a branch on ground and roll around with it, like a dog or cat which seems quite rare for an adult wild animal.