Red Squirrels
Nothing livens up a walk through the woods like the loud chattering of a red squirrel, as it darts across the trail and up a tree. Despite its small size the red squirrel has plenty of attitude, and will often greet the passerby with a battery of scolding vocalizations. During these unseasonably cold days of early spring, the squirrel’s antics are a welcome sign of life.
The red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is the only squirrel native to Vancouver Island. The Latin name “Tamiasciurus” translates as “the steward who sits in the shadow of his tail” in reference to the squirrel’s habit of sitting with its tail curled over its back. Red squirrels are grayish-brown to rusty-red above, and white beneath. The coat is duller in summer, at which time a black stripe is visible along the side. It has a pronounced white eye-ring, actually a narrow crescent above and below its large black eye.
Red squirrels are well adapted to their forested habitat. Muscular and agile, they can readily climb trees, run along branches (even upside down), and jump great distances. They have strong claws and a keen sense of smell, sight and hearing. Squirrels use a range of calls to announce and defend their territory, typically one to two and a half hectares in size.
Solitary, and active mostly during the day, red squirrels are often busy collecting and caching food. The main diet of the red squirrel is seeds found in the cones of conifers such as Douglas-fir, spruce and pine. One often finds evidence of a squirrel by happening upon a mound of discarded cone scales and cores at the foot of the tree. Red squirrels devour cones in similar fashion to how we eat cobs of corn. The resulting refuse heap, or midden can be up to a metre deep and 10 metres across for just one squirrel (or a female with young). There is often a burrow beneath it, with several entrances. Squirrels may create several food caches within their territory. Though they can locate the caches by smell, the squirrel will invariably not eat all the cones it collects, therefore playing a valuable role in seed dispersal.
Apart from cone seeds, red squirrels eat a variety of things such as fruits, nuts, bark, fungi, bird’s eggs and baby birds. Hawks and owls, as well as martens and other mammals prey upon squirrels and keep populations in balance.
Red squirrels breed in the spring, and may produce a second litter later in the year. They usually nest in a hole in the ground, the hollow of a fallen tree, or a tree cavity. After a 32-35 days gestation, 2-5 baby squirrels are born. They are weaned in eight weeks, and begin to venture from the nest at around 40 days, eventually leaving to find new territories. Females care for the young. Though squirrels can live up to seven years, mortality is high, and most die before they are one year old.
Red squirrels are widespread throughout Canada and North America. Though found in much of BC, they are absent from the Queen Charlotte Islands, and, curiously, from a small coastal strip in the lower mainland. On the mainland, one often encounters the Douglas squirrel, or chickaree (Tamiasciurus douglasii). Very similar to the red squirrel, it can be distinguished by its yellow to orange belly. Both red squirrels and Douglas squirrels are found on Cortez Island.
Another widely distributed squirrel in Canada is the northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus). This amazing squirrel can literally glide through the air using the folds of skin between its front and back legs as wings. The northern flying squirrel primarily eats fungi, and plays a critical role in forest ecosystems. Flying squirrels, though absent from Vancouver Island, are present on Quadra Island. Being nocturnal, they are seldom seen.
Visiting Victoria, or Vancouver, one will likely encounter the eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). This squirrel was introduced to Vancouver’s Stanley Park and has since spread to Vancouver Island. These large squirrels may be gray or black, and have become something of a nuisance in urban areas. Unlike the red squirrel, gray squirrels do not defend a territory.
Though many of the mammals in our area are elusive and seldom encountered, anyone who takes regular walks in the woods is sure to see and hear a red squirrel. They do not hibernate, and can be enjoyed year-round. Next time, take a moment to watch and listen to a red squirrel, and feel one-step closer to nature, and to life.
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