Diet: Nuts and seeds Habitat: Woodlands, coniferous forests, suburban greenspaces Status: Least Concern
Western gray squirrels live in Santa Cruz all year long. They use their long tails for balance as they run and leap among branches. Squirrels store acorns and nuts in shallow holes or caches in the ground but do not always re-find their stores, which can sprout into new trees. They mostly eat seeds and are known to steal from people’s bird feeders, making them a common neighbor for humans. They nest up in trees in “dreys”, which are made out of twigs and lined with moss or fur. Their alarm call sounds like a bird chirp and it is used to warn others of a predator or danger in the area.
Fun Facts:
Squirrels can live up to 8 years old.
Their teeth never stop growing – they can grow up to 6 inches per year. Their teeth are never that long though because they are constantly wearing them down when they eat hard seeds.
Squirrels are rodents and belong to the Family Sciuridae.
A tangle of grasses and shrubs carpet the woodland floor, with dappled light filtering through the branches above. Studying a woodland means looking closely high and low, and using every sense to explore.
“Woodland” includes several different plant communities. Local examples include mixed-evergreen forest and oak woodlands. They are multi-layered habitats distinguished by a mix of trees, shrubs, annual grasses and flowers that grow to different heights, providing food and shelter for many animals.
