
Red squirrel at National Capital Commission trail, Mer Bleue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: very interested in seeds at a feeding station, but reluctant to come any closer to nearby people.
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Mammal. Solitary animals, red squirrels scold intruders in their territory. They growl, screech, chirp, rattle, and buzz. Active during the day, they spend the warmer months preparing for winter by finding and hiding food. They do not hibernate, but if the weather is very cold, a squirrel will stay in his nest until it is warmer. A red squirrel usually has several nests in tree hollows or underground tunnels, and any number of food caches. Each cache might hold two hundred pine cones. Using their keen sense of smell, red squirrels can easily locate stored food even under a meter (3 ft) of snow! Adults weigh about .2 -.34 kg (7-12 oz). (per "Animal Profiles ~ Red Squirrel")