How Do Squirrels Get Through the Winter? A Detailed Explanation of Their Overwintering Methods

Squirrels are mainly distributed in coniferous forests or mixed coniferous-broadleaf forests composed of tree species in the genera Pinus, Larix and Picea. Because food sources are relatively abundant and stable, squirrels can maintain a relatively high population density in mixed coniferous-broadleaf forests, and they can also make use of small patches of woodland in the suburbs and even in cities, becoming a companion animal to humans. So, how do squirrels get through the winter?

1. How squirrels get through the winter

Squirrels do not hibernate over the winter; their daily activity rhythm in winter is unimodal, and under severe weather conditions they will also stay in the nest for several days without activity. Squirrels spend 70%-80% of their time on foraging activities, and they tend to forage and store food in coniferous forests.

2. Distribution range of squirrels

They are widely distributed in the temperate and cold-temperate forest ecosystems of the Palearctic realm, from the Iberian Peninsula and the island of Great Britain in the west, to the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia's Sakhalin Island and Hokkaido in Japan in the east, and to the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, northern Mongolia, and the northwestern and northeastern regions of China in the south.

3. Living environment of squirrels

Squirrels are mainly distributed in coniferous forests or mixed coniferous-broadleaf forests composed of tree species in the genera Pinus, Larix and Picea. Because food sources are relatively abundant and stable, squirrels can maintain a relatively high population density in mixed coniferous-broadleaf forests, and they can also make use of small patches of woodland in the suburbs and even in cities, becoming a companion animal to humans.