Spread Eagle Pose – Makes me laugh every time – Photo: L. Weikel

Flexible Hips

I’ve been especially patient with the squirrels this year. I’m not sure why. But the fact that they don’t seem to be gnawing their way into our house or garage, and don’t seem to be cozying up in our cars and eating the wires are all points in their favor. There’s at least one, though, in the little family that’s taken up residence in – I believe – our shagbark hickory tree that has preternaturally flexible hips.

Weird, right? It’s probably more weird that I actually noticed and am writing a post on my observation than the fact that the little one has a very odd way of holding itself when it ‘rests.’

Clearly feels threatened by Spartacus (not) – Photo: L. Weikel

Personality or Comfort?

I’ve found myself wondering about this lately, though. Is it a tendency of all squirrels to splay their hips the way this one does? I don’t think it is, but I’ve been hard put to keep close enough tabs on them all to discern whether it’s only the one that hunkers down in that special way.

It looks like quite a comfortable stance. Then again, this may be the member of this family that prefers to just chill out.

It’s especially tough to keep track when they’re all hanging out and acting squirrelly at the same time. And by ‘all’ I mean the four main ones, which I believe are a mommy, daddy, and two babies, or just a mommy and three babies. But I have to admit: there are two in particular that engage in the classic adorable squirrel behavior of chasing each other round and round and round the maples, then up and down and then scurry across the branches, leaping into the magnolia then taking a couple hops and skips onto the hickory.

Today the little jerks were particularly adorable. Ugh; I hate thinking about them with affection because they can do a lot of damage. They were really into the chasing game this afternoon, and I swear they were acting just like two little kids. While they may not have been laughing, they sure were talking up a storm at each other, chittering and chattering, and I swear almost taunting each other.

I know I shouldn’t be encouraging them to live so close by. And my provision of readily available peanuts is a major culprit in all of this. But it’s not as if I can only provide the legumes to the blue jays, fish crows, nuthatches, and various woodpeckers that frequent our feeders. I’m not going to discriminate!

Just chillin’ in the cool grass – Photo: L. Weikel

Let Me Know

So if any of you are avid squirrel watchers or are particularly gifted with knowledge of squirrel anatomy or behavior, please let me know. Is this little Yoga Rocky uniquely gifted with flexible hips, just weird, or not weird at all – and I’m the weird one for thinking its behavior is odd?

All I can tell you is that s/he makes me laugh every time I see it hunker down this way.

It’s life little things.

Oops – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-456)