Winter forces most forest dwellers to change their way of life. Someone goes into a long hibernation in their cozy burrows and dens, while someone is forced to spend a lot of time in search of food. Among the latter are common squirrels, which can often be seen on furry winter trees.
Instructions
Step 1
The squirrel, like most animals, begins to prepare for winter in early autumn. First of all, she creates a cozy nest for herself in the branches of trees or in hollows. She folds it in the shape of a ball made of thin small twigs. A round entrance is made to the side of the nest, which, at the first sign of danger or bad weather, is plugged with moss or leaves.
Step 2
The bottom and walls of the nest are insulated with dry moss and linden bast, thanks to which the squirrels inside the nest feel great even in the most severe cold. And when these fluffy animals settle next to people, they can also carry cotton wool or, for example, tow, found in the backyards of residential buildings, into their nest.
Step 3
In addition to building a nest, the squirrel also stocks up on a small amount of food for the winter. She hides acorns, mushrooms or nuts under the roots of stumps and trees, not far from her habitat. When food becomes scarce with the onset of cold weather, she easily finds hidden supplies even under a thick layer of snow with the help of her delicate sense of smell. True, if they have not been found earlier by other forest dwellers - wild boars.
Step 4
With the onset of cold weather, squirrels try to get out of their cozy nest only to satisfy their hunger. When supplies run out, these animals feast on cones, and when there are few of them - spruce buds and even tree bark. Well-fed squirrels most often simply sleep in their nest, plugging the entrance to it so that no one bothers them.
Step 5
Their fur coat helps the proteins survive the cold, which by winter not only changes its color to grayish, but also becomes fluffier. And in the ears of these rodents, funny tassels appear. In addition, these animals sense any change in the weather in advance, therefore, during a strong blizzard or snowfall, it is almost impossible to see them jumping from branch to branch - they have long been resting in their house.
Step 6
In February, squirrels begin their first mating season - at this time, fluffy rodents become especially active. And a month later, they have offspring, which are taken care of exclusively by females.
