Animal Behavior

Don’t Try to Pet Them: The Sharp Truth About Squirrel Bites and Backyard Safety

by
Close up of a squirrel's teeth with a hand reaching toward it.

I saw a tourist in a park last week trying to hand-feed a gray squirrel a piece of granola bar. I wanted to scream, but I was too busy watching the inevitable. The squirrel didn’t want the bar; it wanted the finger holding the bar. One lightning-fast crunch later, and that tourist was looking for … Read more

Dead on the Deck? The Truth About Why Your Backyard Squirrels Are Splooting in 2026

by
A gray squirrel splooting on a wooden fence to cool down.

I walked out to my back porch last week to grab the mail, and I nearly dropped my coffee. There, splayed out on the top rail of my fence, was a gray squirrel. He wasn’t moving. Legs kicked back like a tiny pair of fuzzy trousers, chin pressed to the wood, tail limp. I thought, … Read more