Country Ecology: Red squirrel

Susan Morse, a considerably knowledgeable naturalist living in Vermont says the Latin name for the red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, gives us more than a hint about the summer and fall foraging behaviors of this bold and busy creature. She reports Tamias apparently has a variety of meanings in Greek, including distributor, storer, and steward.

Every outdoor enthusiast has seen what goes on out there in the woods: once cones are mature, red squirrels clip them from the trees and carry them to caches throughout the forest. Small cone-bearing nipped twigs can be found on the ground, and a hand lens will often reveal the tiny grooves caused by squirrel incisors.