How Do Squirrels Remember Where They Buried their Nuts?

Squirrels love nuts.



Joel Kontinen

Squirrels mostly gather nuts this time of year.

“Most squirrel species are scatter-hoarders — hence the characteristic dashing they do between different piles of buried food. ‘This style of food storing probably evolved because it reduces the risk of suffering a major loss,’ said Mikel Maria Delgado, a postdoctoral fellow at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, who has studied squirrel behavior for several years.”

“Depending on the squirrel species and the type of nut, squirrels are generally able to retrieve up to 95 percent of their buried food, research shows. So there's clearly more than chance behind this process.”

The seeds of Pinus cembra contain plenty of amino acids, Plenty of A vitamin, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin plus omega-6- and omega-3-fats.

Source:

Bryce, Emma, 2018. How Do Squirrels Remember Where They Buried Their Nuts? Live Science (17 November).