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To uncover the secret behind the cagey critters' mental ability, we scrambled around the Squirrel category in the Yahoo! Directory to see what we could unearth. From an FAQ we dug up on the Squirrel Place web site, we learned that squirrels are wily, long-term strategists. Once they've collected an assortment of nuts and cones, they hoard their haul to make it through the long, cruel winter. The bushy-tailed rodents employ two different practices for stocking their winter pantry. One method is known as "scatter-hoarding," in which the animal places a handful of nuts and
seeds in numerous locations -- that way if another critter finds one stash, chances are their remaining stores will stay hidden. The other method is "larder-hoarding," when a squirrel will select just a few locations and store a mother lode within each. Pine squirrels do this, and perhaps as a result, are extremely territorial. To prevent other animals from stealing their vittles, they'll dig a pit known as a midden, fill it with food, then cover it with leaves and debris to mask their tracks. So how do they find their stockpile? The Squirrel Almanac's Dr. Peg, a seasoned squirrel researcher, says only further research can explain conclusively, but current
data suggest three possibilities: the use of smell, the use of landmarks, or perhaps least likely, relying on a darn good memory. Most of our search results seemed to corroborate the smell theory. A number of sites even indicate that some squirrels can detect scents through many feet of snow. Despite all their careful planning, hoarding, and foraging, the industrious squirrel population will never find all the nuts they've buried, and their undiscovered stashes help to propagate the world's forests. In effect, the animals are working to replenish and ensure their food supply for generations to come. How's that for shrewd resource management?
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