Gray Squirrels Have Bad Memories - Red Squirrels Not As Forgetful

[matcom]

<snip>

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Gray squirrels' faulty memories turn out to be good for forests, but the nut-hoarding habits of their red cousins are not, U.S. scientists said on Tuesday.

The bane of suburban gardeners and backyard bird feeders, the ubiquitous gray squirrel buries walnuts, acorns and other nuts across the landscape in a pattern called "scatter hoarding," a Purdue University scientist said.

Some nuts are forgotten and have a chance to germinate and sprout into black walnut, oak and hickory trees needed to regenerate steadily retreating hardwood forests.

The red squirrel, which invaded the U.S. Midwest from higher altitudes within the past century, usually piles nuts in a few above-ground caches, where the seeds dry out or are eaten.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=573&e=6&u=/nm/20031126/od_nm/squirrels_dc

[bhunt70]

1. what about black squirrels?

I figure they would be the same as the grey squirrels since they coexist together.

[trof]

2. Too true.

Large areas of our front yard are mulched with leaves. We now have a forest of 3" oak "trees" coming up.
Gray squirrels.

[Superfly]

3. Simple solution:

Recipe:

Take 1 Ruger 10-22 rifle and collect a dozen red and/or grey squirrels.
Skin and clean squirrels.
Quarter carcasses.
Cook as per the following recipe:

CHICKEN & RABBIT WITH JUNIPER BERRIES
Pollo e Coniglio con Ginepro

2 lbs. chicken pieces
2 lbs. rabbit pieces
2 tbls. butter
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbls. unbleached flour
1 tsp. salt, or to taste
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups dry white wine
3 tbls. crushed juniper berries
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups seedless grapes

Wash meat and pat dry. In large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium high heat. When hot, add the chicken and rabbit pieces, in batches, and brown quickly on all sides. Transfer to a baking dish. Sprinkle the flour over the cooking juices in the skillet, add the salt and pepper and cook over low heat, stirring and scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon until the flour is dissolved, about 1 minute.
Add 1 cup of the wine and half the juniper berries and stir until smooth. Pour the mixture over the chicken and rabbit pieces, cover the dish with boil and bake for 25 minutes in a 350 oven.
Uncover the dish, add the remaining 1 cup wine, juniper berries and the chicken broth.
Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes more, or until tender, basting frequently with the pan juices. Ten minutes before the meat is done, sprinkle the grapes over. Serve in the baking dish. Note: Juniper berries are available in the spice section of the grocery store or at Natural Food Stores.

[THUNDER HANDS]

4. I always thought brown squirrels were evil

My squirrels are all grey and they're so nice and friendly. Not like those evil mutant red squirrels or the rabid black ones.