We see squirrels
around our homes all times. These are busy
little creatures that always seem to be up
something. It does not matter what time of day
that you are up and looking outside or out for a
walk, you probably see these animals scurrying
around getting nuts or fruits, or chasing each
other around and up a tree. They seem to always
be on the go.
This may make you wonder if squirrels are out
and doing things at night as well. That is a
good question, and the answer is no.
Squirrels, for the most part, are what is called
diurnal animals. This means that they are busy
doing things during the day, but are asleep at
night. While many other kinds of rodents, like
rats and mice, are much more active at night
than they are during the day, the squirrel is
the exception.
They are animals that love to sleep at night and
this is one of the reasons that they are so
careful to build homes where they are very
difficult for other animals to get at their
burrows. If you consider that a squirrel does
not have many defensive options, it makes sense
that they must have a home that makes it very
difficult for predators to reach them.
If you consider that the only real defensive
mechanism that a squirrel has is its ability to
get away, this makes sense. When predators chase
squirrels the critter simply climbs a tree or
outruns whatever is chasing it. This seems to
work perfectly well for, for the most part at
least. However, in its little burrow there is
not many places that it can go to get away. If a
predator has breached its home, the squirrel is
simply in a lot of trouble.
This may seem to be against it, but the squirrel
does not have incredible eyesight or a sense of
smell like the opossum or the rat. This means
that it needs the light of day to find its food
sources. Because they are quick and agile they
are not concerned with predators in the daytime,
because they can get away from most with their
speed and ability to maneuver well.
The one exception to this rule is the flying
squirrels. These creatures are nocturnal,
meaning that they sleep during the day and are
active at night time. They are the one exception
for squirrels, because they have characteristics
that make it easier for them to take advantage
of the nighttime conditions. This includes
improved eyesight and sense of smell, but it
also includes the fact that they can glide down
to avoid getting trapped by a predator. This
enables them to be much more successful during
the night.
Read more:
Squirrel
Control,
How
to Get Rid of Squirrels,
how
to get squirrels out of your attic,
Squirrel
Feces,
How
to Keep Squirrels Away from House,
How
to Kill Squirrels.
