Have you ever heard of squirrels attacking each other? It might be surprising to many people if they learnt that squirrels attack each other, yet they consider them adorable nut-eating creatures.
Probably you would like to have a squirrel as a pet. It would be important to first understand a squirrel’s behavior, especially with other animals that will interact with it.
By reading this article, be sure to learn more regarding the true nature of a squirrel. Keep reading, and you can expect nothing but facts about squirrels in their relationship with each other.
This article has been reviewed by Dr. Linda. Read more about our knowledge control process here.
Contents
Are Squirrels Friendly to Each Other Naturally?
You may have seen a squirrel chasing another squirrel at one point in your life. Maybe you have seen this behavior more than once. That will make you wonder if squirrels are friendly to each other?
When squirrels chase each other, several reasons may explain that. For instance, squirrels can chase each other for fun. Young squirrels are known to love playing a lot.
Young squirrels tend to chase one another occasionally but only for fun. The same behavior is also observed in kittens and puppies. You must have witnessed the playful nature of puppies or kittens.
Another reason to explain squirrels chasing each other is during courting. Female squirrels like to tease their male counterparts. When they are about to mate, squirrels will chase each other first as part of the mating process.
Lastly, squirrels chase each other when establishing dominance. Squirrels love to protect their territory. They will, therefore, chase any unwanted intruders within their boundaries. It is a quick way to settle territorial disputes.
It would be correct to say that squirrels are friendly to each other naturally, but they love being territorial. A squirrel will try to establish dominance on another squirrel that has entered its territory.
Can Squirrels Become Aggressive?
Have you ever wondered if squirrels can turn to aggression? When keeping a new pet, you are not familiar with it, it is important to be prepared for anything. That means learning about the different ways a squirrel will behave and why.
Like most animals, aggression is a way of protection from possible danger. Any animal that feels threatened can choose to run away or become aggressive and prepare to defend itself. Squirrels are not in any way different.
As territorial animals, squirrels will be sure to leave scents within their boundary. That is one way of protecting their food sources from other squirrels. If another squirrel were to enter their boundary, it would be taken as a threat.
In such a situation, the squirrel would become aggressive and begin squawking. The same applies when humans pass by their territories and are perceived as being threats. Squawking is one way for squirrels to say, “keep off.”
Squirrels will also be aggressive when protecting their young. When squirrels have young ones nearby, and you approach them, they will immediately become aggressive to protect them. Squirrels do not leave anything to chance where their young are involved.
Note that these pretty little creatures will become aggressive when protecting their interests.
Do Squirrels Attack Each Other?
Once a dispute involving territories arises, squirrels tend to attack each other. They are known to love setting up boundaries to keep off other squirrels from their food sources.
When a visiting squirrel invades their territory, they will be warned by the defending squirrel. If the squirrel fails to heed the warning, then an attack is launched. The squirrels will begin to chase each other.
During the chase, the squirrels will bite, scratch and even hurt one another. This type of aggression is called food aggression. In this case, the squirrels become aggressive to protect their food source.
The aggression is also seen when other squirrels begin digging the stored supplies of others. The squirrel will do anything possible to protect what is theirs. Protecting the food supply is top of a squirrel’s priority.
Squirrels will also attack each other to assert male dominance. Male squirrels will begin with chasing one another and eventually fight for the right to mate. The fight will be aggressive since both males want to be the dominant party.
Do Squirrels Kill Other Squirrels?
It is for the fact that squirrels do kill animals that are potential food to them. But can they kill one another? Yes, squirrels can kill other squirrels.
What reason would make a squirrel want to kill its fellow squirrel? The first reason would be hunger. It may seem unlikely for a squirrel to kill another squirrel for food, but it does happen.
When food is scarce, squirrels will turn to meat-based foods. Did you know that squirrels are omnivores? Yes, squirrels feed on both plant-based and animal-based foods. However, they prefer to have plant-based foods.
When food is scarce, squirrels choose to survive with what they can find edible, even if it means eating fellow baby squirrels.
Another reason that makes squirrels kill fellow squirrels is infanticide. For this case, a male squirrel will kill its rival’s offspring, especially when food is abundant.
This helps to increase the chance of the killing squirrel being a father to his pups. Though surprising, it was found to be true. Squirrels will kill fellow squirrels depending on their situation.
Can You Keep Many Squirrels in Your House?
When you glance at a squirrel, you will not help but marvel at the cute face it has, right? Not only are squirrels cute but also amusing. That will make you wonder if you can have that adorable creature as a pet?
It is always important to consult on keeping squirrels in our houses from the authorities first. However, this can vary from one nation to another since different countries have different requirements for keeping pet squirrels.
After learning what your country recommends on owning pet squirrels, then you can buy yours. You can keep more than one squirrel, although this also depends on what your municipality says.
Squirrels have a lot of energy. That means they will want to jump up and down all over the house. It will be difficult to cage a squirrel since it can cause a lot of damage when deprived of space.
Squirrels need to have freedom. If you were to let these rodents roam around the house, you should not be surprised when they damage everything around the house. Their sharp claws and teeth give them the license to be destructive.
Apart from being destructive, squirrels are also very territorial. That means when other people invade their space; squirrels become aggressive to protect their boundaries. Squirrels require a lot of care, and domesticating them is not easy.
Tips to Make Squirrels More Friendly with Other Squirrels and House Pets
If you happen to feed squirrels within your compound, you may want to create a friendly environment that will favor your house pets. How exactly do you get that done?
Squirrels are generally afraid of cats and dogs. They begin to squawk when they see your house pets approaching since they view them as threats. However, you can ensure that both the squirrels and house pets live harmoniously.
Tip #1: Feed Squirrels with Sufficient Food
Squirrels are and will always be jealous of their food. That means that they become aggressive if they feel their food is being taken away. To ensure that does not happen, provide squirrels with enough food and in a separate food bowl.
Tip #2: Feed Squirrels in Group
One significant way to create a bond with wild squirrels is by feeding them. Multiple squirrels will visit your home more often if they get food. In such a situation, you feed them all together.
The same case should apply to squirrels that we keep at home. If you have several squirrels, feeding them together is important. That allows them to bond, and it creates an environment where they can live peacefully with each other.
Tip #3: Allow Other House Pets to Interact with Squirrels During Feeding
If household pets are very well socialized, involve them as you feed the pet squirrels. That will help in instructing you after restraining the house pets from chasing squirrels. Once squirrels get used to the presence of house pets, they will be less aggressive.
Conversely, this would likely result in the cat/dog eating the squirrel’s food and/or attacking the squirrel.
Wrapping Up
Squirrels are sure to attack each other. However, the attack is only made when the squirrel feels threatened. Like all animals, a potential threat must be dealt with. Expect squirrels to launch attacks when threatened within their space.
That, however, should not mean that squirrels are bad animals. You can easily establish a friendship with a squirrel. By regularly feeding squirrels, they are likely to be more friendly with you.
You will also make squirrels less aggressive once they have enough food in their surroundings. If food is easily available, then squirrels will not need to fight over it.