‘Neighbourly’ squirrels agree boundaries with friends

SQUIRRELS are good neighbours and agree peaceful boundaries with their friends, a study has found.

Analysing data collected over 22 years, researchers found that North American red squirrels that lived in a “neighbourhood” had better survival chances and successfully raised more children. However, researchers found that living near family did nothing to improve survival rates.

Lead author Dr Erin Siracusa, of the Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour at the University of Exeter, said: “These squirrels are solitary – each defending a territory with a ‘midden’ (food stash) at the centre – so we might assume they don’t co-operate. However, our findings suggest that – far from breeding contempt – familiarity with neighbours is mutually beneficial.

“Defending a territory is costly – it uses both energy and time that could be spent gathering food or raising pups.

“It may be that, after a certain time living next to one another, squirrels reach a sort of agreement on boundaries, reducing the need for aggression.”

The research – part of the Kluane Red Squirrel Project – used 22 years of data on squirrels in Yukon, Canada, within the traditional territory of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations within 130 metres of a central territory.

The study found squirrels who had good neighbours had a 74 per cent chance of surviving a year after the age of five, compared to 59 per cent for those that did not. They also had more breeding success.