Pet Lovers

[pattypeep]

@ScrapHappy   Awwwww. How can you resist?

[conlt]

So with all of this talk about Squirrels and the cute pictures up on the boards, I had a dream that I had squirrels running all over my house. LOL. I am glad it was only a dream. 

[feline groovy]

@ScrapHappy, @mistriTsquirrel, etc:   hmm...   

So THAT'S how they keep getting into the bird feeder:  Grey squirrels remember how to solve puzzles for up to two years and can quickly adapt to crack new problems

• Squirrels can remember problem-solving techniques for long periods
• They can also apply these techniques to get around new situations
• The researchers say this explains why squirrels easily get into bird feeders
• It also might explain why grey squirrels survive so well in towns and cities

MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 12:21 EDT, 13 July 2017 | UPDATED: 13:01 EDT, 13 July 2017

If you have ever hung a bird feeder in your garden only to find it emptied by a squirrel minutes later, you’ll already know the pesky rodents are smart.

Now scientists have shown that squirrels can remember problem-solving techniques for long periods and can apply them to new situations.

Research found grey squirrels quickly remember how to solve a problem they have not seen for almost two years, and also quickly work out how to use those skills in a redesigned version of the same test.

This surprising level of intelligence and adaptability may play a part in the animals' ability to thrive in unusual environments, the researchers, from the University of Exeter, said.

'This might be why grey squirrels can survive very well in towns and cities,' said study coauthor Dr Pizza Ka Yee Chow.

'For example, they're very good at getting food from bird feeders.

'People may try different types of bird feeders to keep the squirrels away, but this research shows grey squirrels can not only remember tricks for getting food, but can apply those skills in new situations.'

Grey squirrels are known to have good long-term memory – they are 'scatter-hoarders', collecting and hiding thousands of nuts every autumn.

Previous research at Exeter has shown that their memory for the locations of hidden nuts is excellent,' said co-author Professor Stephen Lea.

But the new research demonstrates a 'very different form of memory', said co-author Dr Théo Robert.

'This is not just remembering where things have been left, it shows they can recall techniques which they have not used for a long time,' he said.

The study could explain why squirrels easily get past bird feeder guards. It also might be why grey squirrels can survive very well in towns and cities.

'It's also different from what we see in the wild because they're remembering things for longer than the few months of memory needed to find hidden food.'

Several pieces of previous research have shown just how intelligent grey squirrels can be.

Animal intelligence is generally judged by how well a creature can adapt to its environment and make use of resources around them.

Squirrels have shown they can live almost anywhere, by spreading from North America to other regions, including the UK where they have all but replaced the native red squirrel. 

The animals are best known for burying nuts so they can find them in the freezing winter months when food is scarce, demonstrating they have great memories.

A study by Princeton University showed grey squirrels are capable of using spatial memory to retrieve buried nut caches and they remember fruitful hiding places year-on-year.

They can also memorise the easiest route up a tree to rapidly get to their nest.

[ScrapHappy]

We did purchase one of those baffles but the darn squirrel already figured out how to work around it.  Found the bird feeder opened and empty this morning.

[NickNack]

@ScrapHappy  Do you have any tree branches that the squirrel could possibly be jumping to your bird feeder from?  If you have one of the nice long baffles like they sell at Wild Birds Unlimited the squirrels shouldn't be able to get past it.  Some of the other types of baffles they can.  

I've got to get some of my trees trimmed because the squirrels can get to my feeders from the branches.

[ScrapHappy]

No, no trees....nothing in the area except the bird feeder which hangs off a metal shepards hook.  The baffle we got is large, a dome that hangs above the bird feeder itself.  He gets the lid off and eats all the bird seed.  Happened twice.  I have no idea how he does it.

[mistriTsquirrel]

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@feline groovy wrote:

This surprising level of intelligence and adaptability may play a part in the animals' ability to thrive in unusual environments, the researchers, from the University of Exeter, said.

'This might be why grey squirrels can survive very well in towns and cities,' said study coauthor Dr Pizza Ka Yee Chow.

---

@feline groovy  Dr. Pizza is right (and what a great name!!).  Not sure about the "surprising" part.  How is this surprising??

If anyone wants to keep squirrels away from the feeder, just remember that we like pizza better than birdseed.  (Who doesn't?)

[NickNack]

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@scraphappy wrote:

No, no trees....nothing in the area except the bird feeder which hangs off a metal shepards hook.  The baffle we got is large, a dome that hangs above the bird feeder itself.  He gets the lid off and eats all the bird seed.  Happened twice.  I have no idea how he does it.

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@ScrapHappy  Effective squirrel baffles hang below the bird feeder.  Do a Google search and look at some of them.  The long ones that hang below are very effective.

[ScrapHappy]

We got one that can do either.  The squirrel is not coming up from the ground.  He climbs up the shepard hook and (before the baffle) would just hand upside from tip of shepards hook and eat out of tray of bird feeder.  The first thing he did with the baffle was mess with the hook.  Came out, my husband super glued it.  Like I said, he's not getting to it from below, he's coming down from the top.

[Doc74]

Just grease the pole