Naturally Kiawah Magazine Volume 37 | Page 46

Living the Squirrel Life

Story by Ally Valladares ; photographs by Ally Valladares and Jacob Zadik

Anyone who lives or vacations on Kiawah Island cannot help noticing the amount of wildlife present on the island . Visitors and locals alike flock to Kiawah to see loggerhead sea turtles , alligators , and birds of all sizes and colors . But one of the most abundant species on the island is the one that most people tend to overlook or to look upon only as a nuisance : the eastern gray squirrel . I happen to be a big fan of squirrels , myself ... but I may be a little biased .

Eastern gray squirrels ( Sciurus carolinensis ) are fascinating animals . Although many homeowners may think of them simply as annoying little fuzzy rodents that chew wires and wood , squirrels have many adaptations that no one ever thinks about . For starters , squirrels are scatter-hoarders and have an incredibly accurate spatial memory ( as well as a remarkable sense of smell ). They can bury numerous small food caches for a few hours , days , or even months , and then later use distinct landmarks and other clues to find where they buried them . The squirrels do not always find all their nuts , however , and that is why we have so many oak trees !
Squirrels are one of the only mammalian species with the ability to descend a tree headfirst . Their ankles rotate so that their feet point backwards , allowing their claws to easily grip tree bark . Their communication skills are varied and , once you become familiar with them , easy to understand . Squirrels make all kinds of noises , ranging from buzzy “ tuk tuk ” baby coos to the loud barks and “ kwaas ” of alarm . Baby sounds are also sounds of affection , made by males to females and also by rehabbed squirrels to their caretakers .
But as I said , I am a little biased in the squirrel department . You see , I live with one .
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