How smart are Squirrels?

[bluemoon_wulf]

So, after living in this apartment for 10 years, i finally thought... why not give the squirrel some food?

This is the suburbs, so we dont shoot them here. There are only about 2 couples in my complex, so an infestation they are not.

I put bout 1/8 cup sliced almonds at the tree roots

It enjoyed the meal. So next i gave it some stale macadamia nuts. Watching from a safe distance, i noticed a gnawed stick amid the roots.
This morning I found that stick at my 2nd floor doorstep. Hmm, it dragged a stick as big as it is up the stairs to me???? {by the way it is 90 degree and feels super humid, but only 30 humid}
Dont know. I took the stick down to the roots along with new nuts.
Guess what i found next to my door this evening.. i am impressed.

 

[igolfat8]

Those little boogers new a lead snack.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@bluemoon_wulf Sounds like the buddy who “just needs a place to crash for the night” (aka future roommate) is coming to visit and brought a peace offering in lieu of rent.

 

[Kraemer99]

Am I the only one who has a hard time believing a squirrel could lug that stump up a flight of stairs??........

 

[bluemoon_wulf]

I have a hard time... Thus this post.

How much brain they got???
Willing to exhaust himself for addictive nuts? Btw it feels pretty hefty to me. As heavy as the critter maybe

 

[Ezana4CE]

@bluemoon_wulf How can you be sure that a squirrel placed that piece of wood at your door?

 

[Pea-shooter O.G.]

Its probably a neighbor throwing that stick up there, trying to tell you to quit feeding the dang squirrels!!!

 

[Ezana4CE]

Its probably a neighbor throwing that stick up there, trying to tell you to quit feeding the dang squirrels!!!

Or a neighborhood dog doing tricks trying to get some snacks too.

 

[bluemoon_wulf]

Anything is possible. That stairs you see is only for one neighbor and me. Sadly, persons walking up can be felt and slightly heard since it is old wood flooring.
Most of the time can tell when a person comes to my door, or definitely will tell the thump of a thrown stick.
Dogs, all here are indoors or on a leash being walked. So to me more likely a person than a dog.
My wife, why would a human bother with the stick,...

 

[Mg616]

Looks rather large. Its not a question of where he grips it. Its a simple question of weight ratio...An african squirrel maybe, but not a European squirrel.

 

[Kraemer99]

Around thirty years ago we came home to a squirrel nest blown down from a storm. Two baby squirrels were in it that didn’t even have their eyes open. We raised them and kids named them Lewis and Clark. When older the kids would feed them Captain Crunch and Froot Loops. They loved it but I believe it gave them a sugar high and they were all over the place. Finally we found them chewing on electric cords and I didn’t want a Christmas Vacation disaster so they were banished to the outdoors. Fun pets for a while but smart? Not so much.......

 

[bamavet55]

Place a trail camera on the thin tree next to the Crept Myrtle (?) tree next time you place treats for the squirrel. Maybe that will reveal the mystery of Super Squirrel.

 

[crowski]

We all know the story of the 3 bears. Give them lead before they get in. $ in damage. Crow

 

[fuznut]

The evidence would suggest you might be under estimating the intellect of a stick. When observing continue maintaining a safe distance from it as well.

 

[Calbarry]

The chances of it being a squirrel putting the stick there are slim and none, unless it's this guy

 

[nced]

I have a hard time... Thus this post.

How much brain they got???
Willing to exhaust himself for addictive nuts? Btw it feels pretty hefty to me. As heavy as the critter maybe

"How much brain they got???"

About this much............

I've seen squirrels do mental gymnastics to figure out how to get seeds from a bird feeder. I had one of those spring loaded "squirrel proof" bird feeders that covered the seed ports with the weight of the squirrel. It worked well for a few weeks, then I saw a NC squirrel (are they smarter than a WV squirrel) hanging from the top of the feeder by it's back legs and scooping seeds from the open ports since it put no weight on the spring loaded cage! Hereis a pic of the feeder.........

I dispatched that "Einstein squirrel" with my R9 however evidently there was another because I found a second squirrel scooping seeds onto the ground.

On the other hand, a couple decades ago when living in West Virginia I was practicing from my front porch with my .177 R9 and a crow landed in a tree about 50 yards away and was watching the practice session intently. Hummm, that is a dumb crow so I decided to stalk from tree to tree to get within about 40 yards to take a shot. Well, when I got within 50 yards the crow flew to another limb about 50 yards away and was watching. Another stalk from tree to tree and the same thing happened (crow flew to another tree 50 yards away). Well, my property was sloped and after about a half dozen "stalks" I was at the low point of the property where there was a dry "wet weather stream". After he last stalk the crow simply started laughing at me and flew away so I never got closer than 50 yards to that DUMB CROW!

While sitting at the base of a tree still hunting for squirrels I've had bushytails come to within a few yards from me.
So I wonder if a "dumb crow" is smarter than a smart squirrel!

 

[dizzums]

theyre real resourceful, but have a one track mind for food which makes them throw caution to the wind and get themselves pretty vulnerable ..

 

[Bullseyes777]

Wow. That brain tutorial brings back some good memories from the anatomy lab in my early years….

 

[RWSx3]

Like most wild animals, they are creatures with amazing senses of smell, sight and habit. I have numerous Fox squirrels in my area, I won't shoot them as they are not destructive to property - unless cleaning up the yard after their building of nests or food outposts is considered destructive? and if the pension $ ever goes away - then... and only then, squirrel stew could become a priority menu item.
Now if you want to have a good chuckle, get some of the Dill Pickle flavored sunflower seeds and feed the squirrels those... their head-shaking wtf reaction to the taste is priceless.

 

[KitCarson16]

They can be quite clever. I live on a 16 acre place with lots of undeveloped area to the rear. So there are lots of squirrels. I never shoot them unless it becomes absolutely no other option. I like seeing them run around. They raid my sweet corn in the garden each year so I just plant a bit more , some of it goes to waste anyway, so not upset at them.
However we feed the birds in the Winter also and we have one of those bird feeders that when the squirrel finally manages to sit on the rail, it moves down and closes off the feeding ports. So several of them figured out they could jump about ten feet and land on the feeder and the shock of the landing will knock bird seed to the ground, then they simply jump down and have a feast. I have seen them do their jump three or four times until they are happy with the seeds on the ground.
I have seen them carry some fairly large dead sticks and branches up a tree to build a nest with. Then they weave a few thousand leaves in and create a house.
I would not put it past a squirrel to carry that stick up there, animals are smarter than we credit them with, Loki our cat opens doors, when he was younger we had child locks on all the cabinets and drawers to keep him out of them.
Animals can be very clever.

Kit