The Trail Cam Thread

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Some consider them pests. Some eat them. The gray squirrel can be very destructive. Chew everything including wires under the hood of a car. I like them and give them their own spot to eat and do squirrel things. I have the trail cam facing their feeder. They can get crazy playing.

Yes, but its all different species. We have two invasive grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) populations in Europe, one in Britian and where the grey by many people are considered a pest, these carry the feared squirrel pox virus to which the American squirrels are immune but it is absolutely lethal for our European squirrels, and one in Northern Italy, spreading. these are said to not carry that virus. However. The grey ones are bigger, stronger, more aggressive, they are social, and thus probably more intelligent. Practically everywhere where the red and grey populatioisn meet, it results in the vanishing of the red ones, there is no l,asting coexistence. In Britain, the Reds have almost vanished except in some small protected reserves in the North.



These are some of the reasons why over here, our native red ones are usually not seen as a pest by people, and as I said: they even are protected by law, you get legal troubles if you kill or catch them, the penalties can reach to I think up to 50,000 or even 100,000 coins. We have many squirrel rescue stations across all Germany, that nurse younglings and baby squirrels that lost their mothers for whatever a reason. I can understand that in North America it is different with the many species there, I have seen videos and films on their behaviour, they are MUCH different to ours, practically all of them seem to be stronger and more aggressive, many are bigger.



Yours are stronger. Ours are cuter, and they have pointy hair tufts at the top of the ears in winter. No other squirrel has these.


The only other squirrel families we have over here, are marmots in the Alpes, and spemophilus (=Ziesel), both are ground squirrels. We have neither prairie dogs nor other tree squirrels, only our small tiny cute red ones.


And if you have not guessed it already, I love them! Eichhörnchern bringen Freude in das Leben.

[AVGWarhawk]

@Skybird I have heard of muskrat love. Not so much squirrel love.

[Skybird]

Muskrat. =Bisamratte.



???


I have nothing for or against rats. But they are a pest, and infectous, thats the two problems with them.

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Muskrat. =Bisamratte.



???


I have nothing for or against rats. But they are a pest, and infectous, thats the two problems with them.

Anyway, there is a song titled, "Muskrat Love". Captain and Tennille. Just a bad joke and song!

[Skybird]

Kira and Taro last winter. They both are males, and now (summer 2023), in their third year of life. They are very likely brothers, the first one and a half year strolled around together a lot, but now have turned more into isolationists. There was a third of their family, Sari, but Sari either has wandered away, or already is dead. I observe them and support them since they were small and young. And yes, I am emotionally engaged with the two.

Last winter, after around 2 years of life, was the time when the two brothers started to go more separate ways. Also, they are not as playful and lightminded anymore, dont stay and play in the trees with the feeders anymore and do funny things, but now almost charge the feeders, quickly get a nut, and chase away as quick as they can. Fast in, fast out.

Gone are the easy days of squirrel youth!

They cost me 40 kg of nuts every year, walnuts and hazelnuts. On some days, they work the nut boxes in 30 seconds intervalls - grab a new one every 30 seconds, hiding it. How ever their third winter will become - I can make sure that food and fresh water will not be any of their problems. Thankfull they look string and healthy to me, big, the fur is in top shape, and no signs of exoparasites, although they probably have some flees. All squirrels have them, annoying, but usually not dangerous. There are much meanier parasite threats for my little fur noses.

[AVGWarhawk]

At least your squirrels do not chew the heck out of the feeder box.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

At least your squirrels do not chew the heck out of the feeder box.

They tried, when they were very young and did not know how it worked. The clapping lid hadf them jump starting time and again, they then tried to bite the lid away, or to bite holes through the wall to get to the nuts.


They had to learn it. And they did.

[Onkel Neal]

Great thread idea!

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

Great thread idea!

Inspired by your wild boar debacle in the backyard. These trail cams are great!

[AVGWarhawk]

A few years ago at the same time in the evening our feeder would start shaking. It is dark and we could not see what was shaking the feeder. We sure could hear the feeder rattling around. I decided to set our trap thinking it was another rat. We get one or two a year. I trap them and drive them off to a field and let them go. So, this is what was rattling the feeder at the same time every night. Flying squirrel. I release the bugger back into the yard. The missus is ok with critters. Just not rat critters.

[August]

Got plenty of these around to back them up. They get bigger every year too. I suspect they are breeding with Grey Wolves.

[AVGWarhawk]

@August It's busy in your neck of the woods.