From Alaska and Canada, the red squirrel's range extends southward into the Rocky Mountains and as far south as New Mexico, and into the Appalachians and as far south as South Carolina. They are boisterous and active all winter long, tunneling through snow to find food and lending charm and color largely within the conifer belt. Because red squirrels prefer evergreen forests, they aren't as abundant in southern Minnesota as they are in the north.
Where fir, pine and spruce cones are in ample supply, the red squirrel often gathers cones and shucks them while sitting on a favorite log, stump or rock. They eat the seeds or store them under tree roots or in underground burrows, but the piles of cone scales build up over time, sometimes reaching depths of many feet. It takes about two minutes for a red squirrel to strip a cone.
Red squirrels are generally vegetarians, but they occasionally eat insects, young birds and eggs. Seeds and fruits from deciduous trees and shrubs are also important foods. So are mushrooms.
The smallest of the tree squirrels, red squirrels measure a foot long and weigh about a half-pound. Their rusty red coat is grayish-white beneath. Their eyes are ringed with white fur.
The territory of a red squirrel is small — seldom more than 400 feet in diameter. If anything unusual happens within its territory, this woodland sentinel responds with a loud chattering and scolding.
The squirrels make their nests on branches or in holes in trees. Outside nests are more common in regions where tree trunks are small and few cavities are available. Nests are usually bulky structures made up of twigs, fibers, lichens, mosses and strips of bark, rendering the chambers impervious to the weather.
Jim Gilbert's Nature Notes are heard on WCCO Radio at 7:15 a.m. Sundays. His observations have been part of the Minnesota Weatherguide Environment Calendars since 1977, and he is the author of five books on nature in Minnesota. He taught and worked as a naturalist for 50 years.
