The squirrel in the Danish gardens

Squirrels as we know them also go by the name European squirrel or common squirrel. The Danish rodent is part of the squirrel family, which covers e.g. tree squirrels, chipmunks, flying squirrels and prairie dogs.
In Denmark, an ordinary squirrel can reach a body length of approx. 22 cm. and a tail of 17 cm.
The large tail also means that it has an important function for the squirrel. The tail is used i.a. to maintain balance when the squirrel is jumping or running. The little bandit can be found all over the country, and comes in a red, brown or black color variant.

It spends most of its waking hours either hunting for food, grooming, building a nest or defending its nest. The squirrel has razor-sharp vision, and combined with good hearing and sense of smell, it is extremely efficient at both searching for food and protecting its young and nest.

What does the animal eat?

Despite being more or less a small carnivore, the squirrel actually mostly sticks to a vegetarian diet. The squirrel primarily feeds on conifer seeds, nuts, alder and mushrooms, but may occasionally hunt for bird eggs or baby birds if it needs a protein-rich meal.

The little crab is therefore also very dependent on conifers, so if you would like a visit from the little four-legged friend, it might be a good idea to plant spruce or pine trees.

Feeding squirrels

First of all, you must give the squirrels the best conditions to settle in your garden. This includes spruce and pine trees, a nest box and attractive food. The squirrel eats both sunflower seeds, nuts and fat balls, but if you don't want the birds to steal the food before the squirrel reaches the bird feeder or the feeding house, then it might be a good idea to set up an automatic feeder. There is a big difference between a bird feeder and a feeder for squirrels and other rodents. With a bird feeder , feeding house or automatic feeder, the squirrel will eventually remember that it is a feeding place where it always has food available. It may also be a good idea to ensure that your squirrels always have fresh water available.

If you give your squirrels a good foundation to live in your garden, you will also find over time that they will probably become a frequent visitor.

On our site you will find a large selection of bird feeders , automatic feeders and feeding houses for squirrels and other animals.

How many cubs will it have?

The squirrel is a bit of a loner, and only gets together briefly with the opposite sex in connection with mating. The turtle doves typically meet for a mating ceremony in late winter or spring. The female is pregnant for approx. 36-42 days, and can give birth to between 3-7 cubs, which she takes care of for approx. 2-3 months before they "fly from the nest". The birth itself takes place in a nest that the female has built herself or taken over from a bird family.

In good surroundings, squirrels can live up to 7 years, but it is often seen that they only live half that.

Books about squirrels and other animals

Do you want to learn more about the cozy little cousin, or would you perhaps like to know more about the other animals in your garden? Then we can recommend taking a look at our nature and garden books, where there are books about birds, squirrels, hedgehogs and other common animals from the garden.