Diet

In Latvia, the squirrel feeds mainly on spruce, pine and larch seeds, in winter and spring also on spruce buds, young pine shoots, alder cones and scabs. In summer they feed on various berries, also eat insects and other terrestrial invertebrates, rarely – birds' eggs and even baby birds.

In late summer and autumn, the squirrel prepares food reserves for the winter, burying food near stumps and tree roots, in hollows and bird nesting cavities. The shelters are well prepared, almost always keeping the temperature above zero. Mushroom reserves are also prepared in autumn. They are pinned on dry twigs to dry. Some species of honey mushrooms and butter mushrooms (Suillus) are the most delicious for squirrels. The squirrel has special muscles in its mouth to eat acorns and hazelnuts. These help the squirrel to squeeze its lower incisors closer together.

Habitat

Squirrels are found in coniferous and mixed forests, as well as in gardens, parks and cemeteries. They spend most of their lives in trees. They live in tree cavities, or build their own spherical structure form twigs and moss, including dry grass. Even in the harshest winter cold, when the squirrel is at home and warms it with its breath, the house is warm (10-15 °C). Curled up and covered with its tail, the squirrel spends all night and usually the noon, heavy rains and storms, snowstorms and severe frost in winter.

Important and interesting facts

The colour of the fur changes seasonally, with brown red tones predominating in summer, and greyer shades in winter. The tail serves as a balance tool, a rudder for precision of jumps and a glider.

The squirrel has got five toes on hind feet, four well-developed toes on forefeet.

Information sources: latvijasdaba.lv, Wikipedia

Photos: Māris Kreicbergs