IMG_1914.jpg

Meet Nutterbutter.

Hey, all! I am Nutterbutter and I love the gray squirrel! I am the friendliest of a family of four littermates (that’s what I call my siblings). Don’t be misled by the name — gray squirrels actually come in a wide range of colors, from gray (duh!) to black, to even white, like this albino one I saw at the park, his name’s Fred. They are members of the family Sciuridae, closely related to woodchucks, prairie dogs, and chipmunks. Although I’d say they’re the best looking, with their large eyes and bushy tails! Did you know there’s over 200 species of squirrel?

Tree squirrels are more solitary than their ground-dwelling brethren. They mate once or twice a year! And can live for 5 to 10 years in the wild, but unfortunately many of them die in our first. Everything is dangerous to them, including red foxes, wild cats, dogs, you name it.

But their most dangerous enemy may be humans: cutting down trees leaves them homeless. As they try to run from predators many are hit by cars. The number is only increasing as more and more cars get on the road. It’s a warzone out there for those bushy-tailed buddies. Please keep an eye out for them - they really mean no harm!

ezgif.com-optimize.gif

What do we munch?

They loooove plants, seeds, and nuts! Like me! They’re not super picky though, as they will eat insects and even small vertebrates. Gray squirrels just need the essentials: protein, carbs, and fats. Did you know they need about a pound of food a week?

Fun fact: tree squirrels actually don’t hibernate! They rely on the acorns and nuts buried earlier in the year, which they can recall through their AMAZING spatial memory and sense of smell. (they have a 40-80% recovery rate!) Pretty good considering all the nuts they bury!

“It’s time to get nutty!”
— Nutterbutter