A squirrel will twitch its tail like a signal device, and it indicates that it is suspicious and uneasy. The tail of a squirrel is the first source of its communication with other squirrels. The tail is used also for protection and balance.



The squirrels always look out for any signal of danger or a predator. If they see that the tail of another squirrel twitches, they became alert. When the squirrel is approaching another of the opposite sex, the tail will shiver. When it is cold, it snows or it rains, then the squirrel will use the tail in order to keep itself dry and warm. When it gets warm, a squirrel may pump even more blood in the tail so that the body temperature may be kept down.

The tail of the squirrel is like a universal tool. The tail keeps balance if the squirrel is moving from one tree to another. When the squirrel falls away from a tree, it will use that tail like a parachute before the squirrel hits the ground. The tail will be used as its cushion. In a rare event, the squirrel goes swimming and the tail acts as its rudder.

If the weather changes, the tail will be an umbrella or a blanket, while if it is completely sunny, then the tail will be a personal cabana. The squirrel can use the tale like a form of communication. When it is during the mating season, the tail will be used to greet a potential mate. When the squirrel has been alarmed and it is ready to be defensive, it can puff out the tail or it can flick it in order to intimidate a predator. The tail of the squirrel is its most used tool.

When a squirrel finds foods like seeds and nuts, they will not like to share it. There are some that will eat them at once while the remaining keep them for cold winter months. However, they will not want that other squirrel to find their food, so when they gather the food, they will stop to wag their tails so that they can warn other squirrels to keep away. The tail is also used when a squirrel gets alarmed or startled. It wants other squirrels to be on their guard. However, when the tail turns fluffy, it means that the squirrel has become aggressive.

Go back to the Squirrels in the Attic home page.