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BARKYARD SECRET – SQUIRREL TEETH NEVER STOP GROWING
Thank goodness, our incisor teeth are far different from those of squirrels. While our teeth reach a certain length and do not grow any longer, such is not the case with squirrels.
Take the gray squirrel, for example, its incisors grow roughly six inches per year. This necessitates their having to wear them down. They accomplish this task by gnawing on hard objects such as bark, wood, and nuts. If they are unable to do so, the incisors get longer and longer and being to curl. When this happens, the teeth eventually curl. A squirrel with is malady can starve. In some cases, the teeth can also grow into the animal’s mouth. In extreme cases, the teeth will actually grow into the hapless creature’s brain!
BACKYARD SECRET – GRAY SQUIRRELS CAN BE LEFT OR RIGHT-HANDED
I am willing to bet you have never wondered whether gray squirrels can be ambidextrous, right, or left-handed. I know I didn’t. However, research conducted by scientists at the University of Exeter found that gray squirrels can indeed be ambidextrous, right, or left-handed.
Interestingly, those squirrels that show a paw preference are not as adept at learning tasks as those that are ambidextrous.
Since the gray squirrels that call my backyard home have no problem quickly figuring out how to raid any new feeder I put out, they must be ambidextrous!
WATCHING FLYING SQUIRRELS DINE AT YOUR FEEDERS
Chances are, in spite of the fact Georgia is home to both northern and southern flying squirrels, you probably have not seen them at your feeders; this due, in large part, to the fact they are nocturnal.
The vast majority of Georgians will never see a northern flying squirrel since its range extends only into a small section in northeast Georgia. The southern flying squirrel, on the other hand, ranges across the entire state, including the range of the northern flying squirrel. With that in mind, I am going to focus my comments on just the southern flying squirrel.
Those of us that have mature oaks and hickories growing either in or close to our yards have the best chance of seeing these fascinating mammals. Acorns and hickory nuts are two of their favorite foods. However, they are also fond of sunflower seeds. The best way to feed them to southern flying squirrels is to place them in a platform feeder.
Some people have accidentally discovered southern flying squirrels visit their yard when the animals’ activities triggered motion-activated security lights. In addition, some homeowners point incandescent yard lights on their feeders so they can watch the animals feed. Others prefer to bathe their feeding area in the glow of red lights. Although red light is not totally invisible to the squirrels, we can see squirrels moving about.
In recent years, some homeowners have begun watching flying squirrels with using UV-flashlights. If you decide to use these special devices, read the instruction material that accompanies them. Improper use of them can lead to eye damage.
When you shine UV light on the animals, you will discover that areas on their flying squirrels’ body will appear to be pink.
Whatever source of light you use, if you notice that your light source is altering their activities, shut the lights down.
HOW MUCH FOOD DOES A GRAY SQUIRREL EAT AT A BIRD FEEDER?
It seems that most people that feed birds fuss about how much food gray squirrels eat at their feeders. However, few of us have any idea how much food a squirrel actually consumes. Some will say anything a squirrel can gobble up is too much. Others say they do not mind it if squirrels eat some food, however, they are of the opinion bushytails eat too much.
How much is too much? I will let you decide for yourself. Studies have shown that a gray squirrel will eat approximately 1.5 pounds of seeds and nuts per week.
EASTERN COTTONTAIL RABBITS CAN HELP CONTROL DANDELIONS GROWING IN LAWNS
If you have an aversion to spraying herbicides on your lawn to control dandelions, the eastern cottontail rabbit just might help provide a more environmentally safe approach to weed control.
It just so happens, that cottontails are fond of dandelions. They eat the leaves, bright yellow blossoms and even the plant’s seeds. This approach works for some homeowners. These individuals report that the rabbits cause little or no damage to ornamental and garden plants. On the other side of the coin, many folks are afraid taking the risk cottontails might damage their cultivated plants.
You might want to try this control technique. If it does not help solve your problem, explore other approaches. If it does, this member of the leporidae family might be the answer to an often-perplexing problem. If you try it, you can tell your friends that you are controlling dandelions using a technique that has been around for a long time—weed control by leporidae.
BACKYARD SECRET – ARMADILLOS EAT FIRE ANTS
Some 50 percent of the armadillo’s diet consists of invertebrates such as ants, termites, beetles and the like. In fact, ants are one of this odd creature’s favorite foods; an armadillo can consume 40,000 ants in a single day.
However, many homeowners want to know if armadillos eat fire ants. While many animals that consume ants shy away from eating fire ants, armadillos do dine on these dreaded imported pests. In fact, they will dig into mounds to reach the hidden insects.
Some studies have shown that armadillos prefer to consume the defenseless broods that are often located near the top of a mound. Consequently, they do not eat the queens or enough of the members of the colony to destroy it.
GRAY FOXES ARE SOMETIMES SEEN NEAR HOMES
When we think of backyard wildlife, the gray fox does not usually come to mind. However, as Georgia’s undeveloped lands are shrinking, we are seeing these fascinating animals more often in residential areas.
Recently on a cold, dark February night, as my granddaughter was driving home, she was both surprised and thrilled that she spotted a gray fox quickly darting across the road in her neighborhood. I am sure most people lucky enough to see a gray fox catches a glimpse of one in a similar fashion. However, they are also showing up on security cameras as they scoot across backyards.
Since suitable den sites are becoming increasingly more difficult for gray foxes to find, they sometimes will try to raise their young in backyards beneath porches and outbuildings.
If you are wondering how to respond, if a pair of gray foxes decides to raise their young close to your house, here are a few tips offered by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation:
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Do nothing. Enjoy watching fox kits grow up and play in your yard.
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Scare the family away. Making loud noises near the den could convince the parents to move their young to a new den. Gray foxes typically have more than one den and will move their young if they perceive a threat.
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Remove artificial food sources. Feed pets indoors and secure any garbage or compost stored outside.
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Erect a fence around your yard or block holes or areas which fox may find desirable to make a den. Make sure that the animals are not inside your yard or den before blocking it off.
GRAY SQUIRRELS AND SUNFLOWER SEEDS
If you maintain a seed feeder for backyard birds in Georgia, stocked with black oil sunflower seeds, more often than not gray squirrels will visit it. When this happens these furry visitors seem to draw the ire of the folks trying at attract cardinals, Carolina chickadees and other birds to their backyard. When I ask people why squirrels irritate them so much they often say the critters eat more than their share of the seeds. That begs the question how much is too much?
While it is easy to believe that gray squirrels subsist on sunflower seeds alone. The truth of the matter is, although sunflower seeds are loaded with such things as calcium, protein, and phosphorus, this is not a balanced diet. Consequently, they also eat other foods such as fruits, berries, bark, wild nuts, and seeds as well as other foods including bones to obtain the nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and the like they need. Therefore, sunflower seeds typically make up only five percent of the gray squirrel’s diet.
A number of factors including weather, nutritional needs and availability of other foods determine how many sunflower seeds they consume at your feeders. However, we know that a gray squirrel normally eats 1.5 pounds of seeds and nuts each week. This is the equivalent to the body weight of a typical gray squirrel.
While only a portion of these seeds and nuts our black oil sunflower seeds, it is hard to believe they are not gobbling up far more seeds. This is especially true when you watch a gray perched on your feeder eating one sunflower seed after another. They are so adept at this that one study found a gray squirrel is capable of hulling and eating 19 sunflower seeds a minute.
