Noisy Squirrels called Chickaree

Chickarees are little squirrels which are mostly found in North America as well as in Alaska, Arizona and New Mexico. It is the name given to the three common squirrels that thrive in these places which are the Pine squirrels, the Douglas Squirrels and the Red American Squirrels. These squirrels are also called "Pillillooeet", a name which the Native Americans who live along Kings River have given them because of the sound that they make. Overall, Chickarees are lovely squirrels which have become more popular because of their fondness to human beings.

Physical Attributes

With a total length of only 30-33 cm from the tip of its ear to its tail, Chickarees are obviously smaller than the other squirrels which people normally encounter in parks and in their yards. These squirrels are also quite light, only 160-300 grams in total weight. The back coverings of Chickarees are normally rusty red but some are grey and brown while their chests are colored orange. Their feet turn grey during the winter but are colored brown during the other days of the year. One can clearly distinguish a Chickaree's upper and lower body because they are separated by a black or a white stripe.

On its own, a Chickaree's tail measures about 13 to 15 cm and it is more distinguishable than the tails of other squirrels because of its very bushy appearance. Without its fur, a Chickaree's tail is much more flat and thinner than the tails of the other squirrels. Moreover, the Chickaree's eyes are also rounded by a white ring.

Chickaree Habitats

It is very rare to find Chickarees outside the forest. In most cases, Chickarees that are found in parks or in houses may have just lost their way by following a human being (since they are really fond of humans) or maybe they are forcibly taken from the forest (i.e. for illegal selling, hunting, etc.). If left on their own, Chickarees will only choose to live in the forest, preferable in the northern boreal ones. Their more preferred habitats are coniferous trees although some of also live in other types of trees. Most of their population are found in deciduous woodlands, or in hedgerows. They also live in second-growth places.

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Like most of their cousins, Chickarees are most comfortable living inside tree cavities. They make their den by scraping out the decaying part of the cavity until it become deep enough to contain an entire Chickaree family. They would also steal from woodpeckers and forcibly evict these birds from their nests by barging into the hole. These holes can be as high as 60 feet above the ground. In cases when they do not live in tree cavities, Chickarees would also inhabit tree stumps which either come from fallen or logged trees. The centre of the stumps would often decay like that of a tree's cavity making it easier for the squirrels to make a hole unto the stump. Chickarees also make underground holes which they use to store food. But in rare cases, especially during summer, Chickarees would build a nest that is closely related to a bird's nest. It is made from leaves and different kinds of twigs which they construct in between big tree branches.

Diet of Chickarees

Among all squirrels, Chickarees are considered to be more notorious to birds because they like steal and eat the eggs which birds leave inside their nests while they hunt for food. Chickarees also murder young birds which do not know how to fly yet. They are carnivorous but in the same way, like most of the squirrels, they too are herbivores. In short, Chickarees are omnivores or animals that eat plants and animals alike. They eat anything that will come across their way: seeds, mushrooms, fruits, nuts, etc.

Chickarees are also known to be very industrious squirrels, storing large quantities of food which they eat both during autumn and winter. A single chickaree would store as much as 150 pinecones all for itself. Chickarees may have developed this trait due to the fact that it cannot store food inside its mouth because of its lack of cheek pouches. Other squirrels have big cheeks because of these pouches.

Reproduction of Chickarees

The mating season of Chickarees starts during the early days of February and usually ends somewhere in March or April. During their entire lifetime, female Chickarees can give birth about 4 to 6 times. Female Chickarees have to carry their young for 4 to 5 weeks before the gestation period completes. Young Chickaree litters are called Kits. Chickarees only get pregnant once in a year (some can be pregnant to at most two times) so the population increase rate of these squirrels are relatively slow compared to other rodents. But, since young female Chickarees can already reproduce at less than one year, there population remains to be stable and steady despite concerns such as illegal hunting and spread of diseases.

Behaviours of Chickarees

It is easy to imagine why some critiques call pep squads as Chickarees. These squirrels are noisy and they repeat whatever sound that they make endlessly. This routine call that they made is repeated every couple of minutes during daytime. They are mostly asleep during evening and are normally active from dawn to afternoon.

Like all the other squirrels, Chickarees also tend to be highly territorial. They will occupy as much as 10,000 square meters and would keep other Chickarees out of that territory as much as possible. Under normal circumstances, Chickarees only live in groups having members that all come from a single group of Kits born from a single mother. They are excellent swimmers and divers.

Conservation Status

Chickarees are listed as "Least Concern" animals by the IUCN; this means that the population of Chickarees is stable and safe. Despite their numerous predators like owls, foxes, lynxes, minks and hawks, Chickarees are able to keep their entire population safe from whatever form of dangers that might threaten their existence in the wild.