K recently saw a squirrel jump from high atop one of our maple trees to land in the snow nearby. At first we thought this was a fluke, but this morning we spotted these tracks which clearly show that this is a habitual practice. You can clearly see the squirrel track approach the tree, and a sort-of squirrel print followed by tracks leading away from the tree. The snow in between isn’t deep enough for a tunnel. We’ve seen this pattern several times since then.
You can see a larger image (and other shots) in the gallery if you want to check my tracking skill.
February 18th, 2007 at 10:08 pm
I’ll have to print this photo and put it in my attic. Then the squirrels that I’m losing my fight with can enjoy their cousin’s antics.
February 19th, 2007 at 9:02 am
Hee hee! My Dad mentioned that he’s seen this behavior before in deep snow. His thought is that they’ve learned that it’s easier for them to leap from the trees than plow through the deep snow.