Red Squirrels
The property owner has given explicit permission to cache on this location. This very unique green belt is home to many Red Squirrels. They are very interesting to watch as they go about their daily business of foraging for food. The squirrels are very adept at hiding their food in branches, under rocks and even in the odd bird nest. Red squirrels are somewhat larger than chipmunks and are primarily granivores, but incorporate other food items into their diets opportunistically.
Red squirrels must acquire a territory and midden prior to their first winter to survive. They can acquire a territory by competing for a vacant territory, creating a new territory or by receiving all or part of a territory from their mothers.
Red squirrels experience severe early mortality (on average only 22% survive to one year of age). The survival probability, however, increases to age three, when it begins to decrease again. Females that survive to one year of age have a life expectancy of 2.3 years and a maximum lifespan of eight years.