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Gray Squirrels' Faulty Memories Help Forests


Nov 26, 8:07 am ET

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Gray squirrels' faulty memories turn out to be good for
forests, but the nut-hoarding habits of their red cousins are not, U.S.
scientists said on Tuesday.
The bane of suburban gardeners and backyard bird feeders, the ubiquitous
gray squirrel buries walnuts, acorns and other nuts across the landscape in
a pattern called "scatter hoarding," a Purdue University scientist said.

Some nuts are forgotten and have a chance to germinate and sprout into black
walnut, oak and hickory trees needed to regenerate steadily retreating
hardwood forests.

The red squirrel, which invaded the U.S. Midwest from higher altitudes
within the past century, usually piles nuts in a few above-ground caches,
where the seeds dry out or are eaten.

Seven times as many walnuts gathered by gray squirrels germinate compared
with walnuts hoarded by red squirrels, ecologist Rob Swihart said in a
statement released by the West Lafayette, Indiana, university. His findings
were published in the latest issue of the Canadian Journal of Zoology.

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"LeeAnne" wrote in message
...
Gray Squirrels' Faulty Memories Help Forests

I hate to think that the public is paying some squirrely academic for
something that is common knowledge ;)
Frank

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In article , "Frank Logullo"
wrote:

"LeeAnne" wrote in message
...
Gray Squirrels' Faulty Memories Help Forests

I hate to think that the public is paying some squirrely academic for
something that is common knowledge ;)
Frank

That would be kinda wasteful & weird. But presumedly this was just a
side-editorial for larger, more credible forest studies.

-paggers

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

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"LeeAnne" wrote in message
...
Gray Squirrels' Faulty Memories Help Forests


Seven times as many walnuts gathered by gray squirrels germinate compared
with walnuts hoarded by red squirrels, ecologist Rob Swihart said in a
statement released by the West Lafayette, Indiana, university. His
findings
were published in the latest issue of the Canadian Journal of Zoology.

Geeze, am I in trouble!! The squirrels have been having a banquet raiding my
bags of hazel nut shells I use for pathways. While they are mostly broken
shells, there are enough whole nuts in there to have kept them occupied for
the last month or so. I've been watching them bury them everywhere. I
figured I was just getting my lawn aerated, but I could have a hazel nut
forest sprouting in my backyard!

pam - gardengal

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"LeeAnne" wrote in message
...
Gray Squirrels' Faulty Memories Help Forests


I wish their memories weren't so short. It would save me a lot of time if
they'd reclaim all the hickory nuts and black walnuts those beasts insist on
hauling in from the surrounding woods and burying in my flower beds. It's a
weekly chore removing all the seedling trees sprouting in them.

John

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i have two grey squirrels in my back garden

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"LeeAnne" wrote in
:

Gray Squirrels' Faulty Memories Help Forests


Nov 26, 8:07 am ET

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Gray squirrels' faulty memories turn out to be
good for forests, but the nut-hoarding habits of their red cousins are
not, U.S. scientists said on Tuesday.
The bane of suburban gardeners and backyard bird feeders, the
ubiquitous gray squirrel buries walnuts, acorns and other nuts across
the landscape in a pattern called "scatter hoarding," a Purdue
University scientist said.

Some nuts are forgotten and have a chance to germinate and sprout into
black walnut, oak and hickory trees needed to regenerate steadily
retreating hardwood forests.

The red squirrel, which invaded the U.S. Midwest from higher altitudes
within the past century, usually piles nuts in a few above-ground
caches, where the seeds dry out or are eaten.

Seven times as many walnuts gathered by gray squirrels germinate
compared with walnuts hoarded by red squirrels, ecologist Rob Swihart
said in a statement released by the West Lafayette, Indiana,
university. His findings were published in the latest issue of the
Canadian Journal of Zoology.




SAY NO TO SQUIRREL RACISM

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Heh -- send some of those red squirrels my way. I haven't been able to
harvest walnuts from my tree in years. :-P It was kind of funny -- last
year or year before (can't recall which offhand), the squirrels were MUCH
later harvesting the tree in the front yard. At the time, this was the only
walnut tree we were aware of on our lot (only 50'x200') and every year they
had it stripped bare before the walnuts started dropping.

We were doing some late yard work in the back yard that year and found a few
walnuts. Figuring they were taking around back and forgotten by the
squirrels, we thought nothing of them...that is, until a walnut dropped out
of the sky. At first I thought the squirrels were protecting their stash --
you know, targetting me with a walnut or two to save the larger batch. :)
Then I looked up and realized that over the years some of the buried walnuts
had taken hold and that the trees had matured enough to start fruiting.
Grin

We now have 2 or 3 additional black walnut trees along the fenceline in
back. They're not as nicely shaped and such as the one out front (fairly
dense thicket of trees in the back) but they're pretty good sized and
already dropping walnuts by the bazillion. For the first time, we've
actually had to clean up the sidewalk/street in the front -- I put all of
the walnuts into a plastic bin (about 10 gallon I suppose) and set them
around back -- the squirrels had it mostly empty in about a week. :)

Now they're hitting the birdfeeders -- as if they don't already have enough
stored away for winter!

James

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In article , "B & J"
wrote:

"LeeAnne" wrote in message
...
Gray Squirrels' Faulty Memories Help Forests


I wish their memories weren't so short. It would save me a lot of time if
they'd reclaim all the hickory nuts and black walnuts those beasts insist on
hauling in from the surrounding woods and burying in my flower beds. It's a
weekly chore removing all the seedling trees sprouting in them.

John

I had a walnut start growing underneath a stone bench & wondered if one of
the crows tossed it there (they drop walnuts from on high to break them &
many end up in the garden), but on reflection it is likely a squirrel
buried it. At the time when I spotted the little tree poking out of the
ground, I dug it out & put in a pot, but it died. :Later a hazel sprang up
in one of the gardens far from the Turkish hazel, & I transplanted that to
container but then failed to water it, I just can't do containers unless
something like horehound that doesn't mind if I don't get it watered
enough. This morning I went out to dig some worms for the salamanders on
the roadside so they could have a thanksgiving feast too, & I upturned
about five whole walnuts in a three foot radius of upturned turf, inserted
into fairly hard earth too. Not far from where the walnuts were buried is
a tulip bed, & there was one tulip bulb laying on the surface -- I've not
had problems with the squirrels digging up bulbs, & maybe I somehow
dropped that bulb myself & never noticed, but it was suspicious.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/

Squirrel News
 

On Thu, 27 Nov 2003 11:45:12 -0500, "JNJ" wrote:


Then I looked up and realized that over the years some of the buried walnuts
had taken hold and that the trees had matured enough to start fruiting.
Grin

We now have 2 or 3 additional black walnut trees along the fenceline in
back.

Get rid of 'em while you can. Aside from shade and quickly decaying
leaves, they are nuisance tree. I wish I had squirrels as meticulous
as yours. As it is, my problem has been reduced by having 3 out of 4
trees felled (not without considerable cost) by Isabel. The nuts
dropped like bombs on my (and my neighbor's roof), Decaying in the
lawn, they provide nasty lawnmower and bare-foot surprises. The roots
spread for *miles* laterally. Well, a very long way. If you have 2 or
3 additional now, you may have 20 or 30 in a few years.

Squirrel News
 

Get rid of 'em while you can. Aside from shade and quickly decaying
leaves, they are nuisance tree. I wish I had squirrels as meticulous
as yours. As it is, my problem has been reduced by having 3 out of 4
trees felled (not without considerable cost) by Isabel. The nuts
dropped like bombs on my (and my neighbor's roof), Decaying in the
lawn, they provide nasty lawnmower and bare-foot surprises. The roots
spread for *miles* laterally. Well, a very long way. If you have 2 or
3 additional now, you may have 20 or 30 in a few years.

Nah -- they're no problem. They're in the far back of the yard, nowhere
near the house, and the nuts do not make it to the ground for long. :)

James

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Nuts to that!