Do squirrels hybernate when it gets really cold?

The temperature has been falling into the low single digits almost every night for two weeks now. I can't really remember how long it's been since that happened this many days in a row.

I haven't seen a single squirrel since this past Monday, there aren't even any fresh tracks in the snow, only bird tracks and what must be cat tracks because they are too big. The little tree rats are always frolicking in my front yard and standing on my front window ledge waiting for me to hand out a pile of peanuts, but there are none at all now.

Could the cold have killed them all off? I know they can live at temperatures way colder than this but it usually only gets like this for a night or two and then warms up around here, not stay frigid for weeks at a time.

 

no. they just conserve energy when they can. if they are hungry enough and havent food in nest. they will come out.

 

yep, squirrels have the ability to use their energy from their fat on demand

 

no....squirrels fly to florida every winter

 

Duh!

 

I guess my bird feeder will be safe for a little while because it is not supposed to warm up until after next week at the earliest.

 

they have bushy tails, which act as wind socks. if its to windy. Squirrel will stay home. Cant hear predators in wind, will freeze easier. when its calm they should come out.

 

I see the poor things skirrying around outside in frigid temps. Put out a loaf of bread every night here, and someone eats it. I feel for all the wildlife critters in some of these painful temps....What do deer do? Just stand there in groups huddling together?

 

They find places to bed down

 

Great photo!
I always felt for deer.... What chance do many of them have? Coyotes to watch for....hunters....and road kill galore here. Makes me cry every time deep inside.

Saw one that got ht by a car one day, as I was riding by. He/she looked at me in the eyes, blood pouring from theirs. I cried for days. I made an insant connection with it and never forgot.

 

i see them even when its -30

the skinnier ones stay under the snow..the fat ones go wherever they want


havent seen my ermine buddy yet this winter..i guess a cat got him

 

and if you ever doubted that an animal is without a soul....

all you need to do is look into their eyes to know....

 

yep the hunted and the hunters.

 

A little while ago Erin was cawing like crazy for me to come into the greatroom... There was a Red-tail hawk in the yard about 15 feet away eating it's prey. Impressive... I'm sure the prey was one of the little birds that I feed seeds to... his mate was cowering under the chair by the seeds watching.

Sad but at the same time, the hawk has to eat as well. Considering how small the prey and how close it was to the house he was having a hard time finding anything else. (else would include squirrels and I haven't seen any today.)

The deer just fluff up and go about their business but find it hard to get at food in this weather. They start stripping bark from the trees. I like the trees too, so it's very much the same thing.

Yes, they very much have souls...

 

Im the squirrel master!!

 

Well they're back eating my bird seed. I hope their assholes burn like fire when they take a dump.

 

Deer "yard-up" in thickets of small trees for protection. They strip off all the bark for food, killing the trees.

 

I would much rather have some jelly donuts..

 

Apparently they don't

 

they eat the rotten nuts theyve stored during the fall..unfortunately by mid winter some of the nuts have turned mouldy and cause hallucinations and erratic behaviour...

most common side effect seems to be seeing satan in the kitchen