Squirrel Facts

The squirrel facts/FAQ on this page are meant to be just the start of a squirrelly conversation. If you don’t see the answer to your question here, please ask a question in the comments, and we’ll do our best to answer it, or to find the answer, for you.

Q. Do squirrels hibernate?

A. No. this is one of the big misconceptions about squirrels, and especially grey squirrels. Squirrels do not hibernate, though their metabolism may sometimes slow down in cold weather, causing them to sleep for much longer each day, only moving from their drey (nest) to forage for essential food.

Q. What does a squirrel’s nest look like?

At first glance, a squirrel’s nest (or drey) may look like a bird’s nest. In fact, it’s easy to tell the difference. Birds’ nests tend to be made wholly or mostly from twigs and to have a fairly uniform appearance. Squirrel dreys on the other hand, have plenty of mud, leaves and other materials in-between the twigs, which often gives them a slightly “untidy” appearance. They also tend to be bigger, and placed in-between the sturdiest branches of a tree.

Q. Did grey squirrels really overpower red squirrels in the UK?

This is a more complicated question than it might seem. First of all, grey squirrels were introduced into the UK in the 1880s from the US, by man. Therefore, they are our responsibility, rather than, as some rather heartless people might say, an unfortunate problem to be disposed of in any way we choose.

It is true that grey squirrels tend to eat a wider range of foodstuffs than their red cousins, and that they can eat acorns earlier in the season than reds. (Apparently the reds avoid the earliest acorns, athey, unlike the greys, dislike the higher tannin levels that early acorns contain).

But all of this is as far removed from deliberate overpowering as can be imagined. Grey squirrels are now the only squirrel species in most of the UK, and their friendly, outgoing nature means that they are much more visible ambassadors for wildlife than red squirrels.

Therefore, like all animals, and squirrels of every description, they’re to be cherished for that which they bring to our world, rather than hounded for something which was never their fault.