Squirrels Do the Fall Reshuffle
The fall reshuffle may sound like a new dance step, but it’s actually a natural occurrence. The Eastern Gray Squirrel is the native American mammal people most frequently see east of the Mississippi River. You can see their nests of leaves in holes in trees or on tree limbs. Nests built on tree limbs as often as large as bushel baskets. A mother squirrel will produce a litter once or twice a year, in February or March and again in July through September. There are usually two or three babies per litter and the mother abandons them after eight or nine weeks. In early fall, young squirrels plus some adults start moving around looking for a permanent home of their own. This is known as the “fall reshuffle.” Once they have established their home range they begin gathering and storing nuts for the winter. This is why you see so many more squirrels in the fall than any other time of year.
Viewer Tip: Poor nut crops in areas with large squirrel populations can give the false impression that they are migrating. Actually, it is nothing more than an abnormally large fall reshuffle as squirrels seek out areas with more food. Eastern Gray Squirrels do not migrate but spend the winter in their warm nests and venture out on warm days.
This information is provided by the Georgia Wildlife Federation. For more information, visit www.gwf.org.
Season: Fall
(Source: Smithsonian Institute Web Site: http://www.mnh.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=298)
