Tree Squirrel jumps from the branch of an oak tree and lands firm on the trunk of the walnut tree several feet away.  His gray fluffy tail twitches in the cold morning air.  Autumn is here.  It’s time to begin the task of storing food for the long winter.  Squirrel doesn’t hibernate.  He does not sleep through the winter like some mammals do, so he will need to have plenty of food stashed away.  He doesn’t want to go hungry when the snow covers the ground and food is sparse.

Squirrel climbs nimbly down the side of the walnut tree and searches around until he finds a nice round nut.  He peels off the green and black skin, down to the hard wavy gray shell.  Squirrel then uses his sharp teeth to pry open the hard shell until he can remove the tasty nut.  Once the nut is free, he licks it.  This is not only to clean it, but also to mark it with his scent.  With his now clean nut held tightly in his mouth, Squirrel finds a safe place to dig a hole, and buries it in the ground.  The scent he put on it will help him find it in the cold winter.  He will be able to sniff it out, even under a foot of snow.  Squirrel hunts for roots, leaves, seed, and other plants to stash away.  If he is lucky, he’ll come across a fat caterpillar or other plump insect to eat right away. 

After burying several nuts, it’s time to work on his nest.  Squirrel has found a nice tree cavity in an oak tree not far away.  He brings in leaves and grasses and makes a nice warm nest that he will spend the winter in.  He will live out the winter alone, only sharing his space with other squirrels if the temperature gets extremely cold and they need to conserve body heat.  Once the temperature rises though, the other squirrels will leave and he will again have the solitary home he enjoys. 

The night is coming, so Squirrel climbs into his neat and clean nest and spends time grooming himself.  He is one of the cleanest mammals in the world.  Boy squirrels are even cleaner than girl squirrels. 

Now nicely groomed, Squirrel curls up and falls to sleep.  When night falls, Squirrel will not leave his nest unless forced to.  He knows there are predators out there that will happily eat him.  He will stay safe, and warm in his home until the morning. Morning will come soon enough for Squirrel.  It’s autumn, he still has so much to do before the ice and snow of winter comes. 

Bibliography for “A Squirrels Day” by Courtney Rene
Lane, Margaret. The Squirrel. New York: The Dial, 1981. Print.
Oxford Scientific Films. Grey Squirrel. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1982. Print.
"A Squirrel Place History and Facts Section." The All New Squirrel Place. Web. Sept.-Oct. 2009. <http://www.squirrels.org/history.html>.
"Squirrels, Squirrel Pictures, Squirrel Facts - National Geographic." Animals, Animal Pictures, Wild Animal Facts - National Geographic. Web. 27 Sept. 2009. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/squirrel.html>.
"Tree Squirrels." The Humane Society of the United States. Ed. The Humane Society of the United States. Web. 27 Sept. 2009.