Gray Squirrel

We have an abundance of gray squirrels at our place that come to the bird feeders. Years ago I used to try to outdo them when it came to their accessing the feeders, and usually lost. Now, we just live with them and actually quite enjoy having them around. We do have an old Absolute feeder similar to the one pictured, only it is missing the perch and is quite dented and damaged, but still works quite well. Every so often I will jam a stick in the holes to give the birds a perch, but it usually falls off after much use.


Every spring, we have some laughs over a particularly peculiar behavior exhibited by some of the squirrels. We watched the one pictured below the other day. It was quite nice outside and Mrs had tossed a bunch of whole peanuts out for the squirrels and the birds.

We believe this one to be a pregnant female based on the absence of the usually obvious male parts and a swollen belly. She picks up a peanut in her mouth, then heads of to apparently random locations and buries them. On the way back for another and without warning, she flattens herself out in the grass. Sometimes she drags herself along the ground. We have no idea why.
Is it possible that she is hot and the grass cools her off? Is she uncomfortable with a belly full of babies and the stretch feels good? Is she scenting the ground? We have no idea.

We think it's damned cute and hilarious.