The question of whether squirrels disappear for the winter is common, particularly in places like Florida where the seasons are less defined. Many people assume the familiar scampering of squirrels will cease entirely when temperatures dip. While many animals employ a deep winter sleep, the survival strategy of Florida’s tree squirrels is much more complex than a simple winter nap. They are widespread across the state, making their winter behavior a subject of curiosity.
True Hibernation vs. Torpor
Squirrels in Florida do not engage in true hibernation, which is a prolonged state of metabolic suppression lasting for months. True hibernation is characterized by an extremely low body temperature, a drastically slowed heart rate, and a low level of arousability. An animal in this state survives entirely on accumulated body fat and is difficult to wake, representing a complete physiological shutdown.
Instead of this deep, months-long sleep, Florida squirrels may enter a state called torpor, which is a shorter, shallower period of reduced metabolic activity. Torpor is a temporary, involuntary response to conserve energy during cold spells or when food is temporarily unavailable. During torpor, the squirrel’s body temperature and heart rate drop, but not nearly as dramatically as in true hibernation, allowing the animal to wake up relatively quickly to feed or react to danger.
The Influence of Florida’s Mild Climate
The primary reason Florida’s squirrels do not truly hibernate is that the state’s climate does not provide the environmental triggers necessary for this deep dormancy. True hibernation is typically an evolutionary response to prolonged, deep cold and a severe scarcity of food sources. Florida’s average winter temperatures are far too mild to necessitate a multi-month shutdown.
The frequent absence of persistent snow or deep frost allows squirrels to remain active throughout the winter season. Furthermore, the subtropic environment ensures a consistent, year-round availability of food sources such as nuts, seeds, fruits, and insects. Since the food supply is not cut off by lasting snow cover, squirrels do not need to rely solely on stored body fat, negating the need for long-term metabolic shutdown.
Winter Survival Strategies
Since they do not hibernate, Florida squirrels employ a range of behavioral adaptations to survive the slightly cooler winter months. During brief cold snaps, they will reduce their activity and stay inside their nests, sometimes entering short bouts of torpor that might last overnight or for a couple of days. They wake frequently from this shallow state to maintain their body temperature and retrieve food, which is a major difference from true hibernators.
A primary strategy is scatter-hoarding, where squirrels bury individual food items like acorns and nuts in numerous locations across their territory. This preparation requires them to remain active, venturing out on milder days to locate and retrieve these hidden caches. Their impressive spatial memory and keen sense of smell enable them to find their buried treasures even when the ground is slightly chilled.
Squirrels also modify their homes, called dreys, which are balls of leaves and twigs high in trees. They reinforce these structures for better insulation against the cold and wind, or they may relocate to a protected tree cavity or attic. Gray squirrels sometimes share a nest with several others during the coldest periods, utilizing communal body warmth to conserve energy. While their overall activity level is lower than in the summer, Florida’s squirrels remain visible and active throughout the winter.