Squirrels’ secret? They use their nut!

IT can be a war of attrition trying to find a bird feeder that keeps grey squirrels’ paws off the seeds.

But it might in fact be futile even to try, for scientists have learnt that the mammals are superb problem solvers with long memories for the tricks they learn.

‘This might be why grey squirrels can survive very well in towns and cities,’ said researcher Dr Pizza Ka Yee Chow from the University of Exeter. ‘This research shows grey squirrels can not only remember tricks for getting food but can apply those skills in new situations.’

In the study, five squirrels were given a task identical to one they had tried 22 months earlier, in which they used levers to get hazelnuts. The first time they did the test they took an average of eight seconds to crack it, soon working down to two seconds. When they tried again 22 months later, they took an average of three seconds on the first attempt.

Co-author Dr Theo Robert said the research, published in Animal Cognition, demonstrated a ‘different form of memory’ from recalling the location of food.

He added: ‘It shows that squirrels can recall techniques which they have not used for a long time.’