This column marks the six-year anniversary of “Ask Maine Audubon,” and I want to start with a thank you to everyone who reads along and sends questions (reminder: send your questions to [email protected]). As a naturalist, one of my favorite parts of nature is following the phenology of various species, especially common backyard plants and animals as they change throughout the year. 

Another fun thing to track is the phenology of questions we get from the public. Those cycles are almost as predictable as the arrival of the first red-winged blackbird, but every now and then we get an unexpected spattering of questions, which gets me to this week’s topic: squirrels. We have received a bunch of squirrel inquiries over the past few weeks, so here is your “All Things Sciuridae” for your Sunday read. 

Let’s start with the fun fact that there are six species of squirrels in Maine. Can you name them all? The most common are the diurnal (active during the day) backyard species like gray squirrels, and, if you live near evergreen forests, especially spruce-fir, American red squirrels. I’ve been watching my backyard grays doing a lot of maintenance to their “dreys,” their stick and leaf nests built in trees, and getting ready for their first round of pups, which are likely to be born in the coming month. This gets us to a question that came from Michelle Myers Brackin and her 2-year-old grandson, who wondered about the survival of some backyard gray squirrels they observed that had injuries to their tails, with one missing all of its tail except for a bald 2-inch stub. She asked, “How do squirrels survive or exist without all or part of their tail?” 

Like most arboreal (tree dwelling) mammals, tails are important in aiding in balance and aerial stability. A big bushy tail is also helpful in staying warm, and can also be important for signaling rank and aggression to other squirrels. While an injured or missing tail may not be life threatening, it will make daily life more difficult, even at “bird” feeders where it can’t “tell” other squirrels who is boss.

There are a couple of other species of squirrels that are all around, and are probably more numerous, though you may never see them: the flying squirrels. Maine has two species, northern and southern flying squirrels, the latter of which hits the northern edge of its range around central Maine, while Northern are common throughout the state. These two species build nests in tree cavities and sometimes bird houses, but unfortunately most people become familiar with these squirrels when they decide to move into a human’s house. The reason for their low detection rates—despite their abundance—is because they are primarily nocturnal. Larry Volpert of Manchester wrote in about his encounter with a couple of them just after dark while taking his dog out for a walk. 

I mostly hear about people catching them on their tray “bird” feeders at night. Sometimes you can get lucky by tapping on a tree with a big cavity; one may poke a head out, but keep in mind they are trying to sleep, so don’t overdo the knocking. 

Squirrel Nos. 5 and 6 go by different names. Eastern Chipmunks are small squirrels; they seem to disappear for the winter, but they don’t truly hibernate — they stay active by living mostly underground, in the subnivean zone (the layer between the surface of the snow and the surface of the ground). Here, the chipmunks are safe from predators, and insulated from the harsh exposed winter landscape. 

Finally, we get to “squirrel” No. 6: the groundhog. These are all in family Sciuridae, but while the “tree squirrels” and “flying squirrels” split off in the subfamily Sciurinae, the “terrestrial squirrels” (including groundhogs) are in the Xerinae subfamily. Groundhogs are one of the handful of mammals in Maine that are true hibernators. We should be seeing them emerge from their underground dens any day now. Fun fact: our very first column, five years ago, was answering a question about why groundhogs were already (in mid-February) awake and above ground!

Thanks again for everyone reading along all these years. I may not be able to answer every question that comes in, but I read them all with the same joy I get from finding a new (to me) species or that first red-winged blackbird of the year. 

Have you got a nature or wildlife question? It doesn’t have to be about birds! Email questions to [email protected] and visitwww.maineaudubon.org to learn more about birding, native plants, and programs and events focusing on Maine wildlife and habitat. Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox and other naturalists lead free bird walks on Thursday mornings starting at 8 am, at Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm Audubon Sanctuary in Falmouth.