Observing squirrels darting and chasing each other through trees and across lawns often leads to questions about their social lives. Scientists confirm that squirrels do exhibit behaviors classified as play. These actions are a normal part of their development and social interaction in the wild.
Defining Animal Play
Play is a complex behavior characterized by features that distinguish it from other activities. It typically involves voluntary, repetitive movements that appear to have no immediate purpose. These actions frequently involve exaggerated forms of behaviors used in more serious contexts, such as mock fighting or chasing. Play is also flexible, varying in form and intensity, and is usually initiated in the absence of severe stress.
Young animals, across many species, engage in play more frequently than adults, highlighting its role in development. Researchers like Gordon Burghardt suggest play is a behavior not fully functional in its present context, often spontaneous and rewarding. It involves motor patterns that resemble those used for survival but are modified, such as being exaggerated or repeated.
Recognizing Squirrel Play
Squirrels engage in both solitary and social forms of play, with young squirrels being particularly prone to these behaviors. Social play often involves chasing among two or more individuals. These chases can appear lighthearted, including rapid darting, leaping, and tumbling movements. Observers might see squirrels spiraling up and down trees or across the ground in what looks like a game of tag.
Another play behavior is mock fighting, which includes pouncing, wrestling, and nipping without intent to cause harm. Young squirrels may also engage in “pseudo-copulation,” mimicking mating behaviors without reproductive purpose. Solitary play can involve a squirrel running, climbing, jumping, and tumbling alone, or even play-fighting with objects like sticks or leaves. These playful interactions often lack the intensity and sustained aggression seen in true conflicts.
The Purpose Behind Play
Play serves several functions for squirrels, contributing to their physical and social development. These activities help young squirrels improve coordination, strength, and agility, skills they will need for escaping predators and foraging as adults. Engaging in play allows them to practice essential survival behaviors, such as chasing, fighting, and evasion techniques, in a low-risk environment.
Beyond physical benefits, play promotes emotional versatility and helps squirrels cope with unfamiliar or unpredictable situations. Social play, especially among littermates, strengthens social bonds and teaches appropriate social cues and communication. Play also contributes to nervous system development, solidifying neural connections related to complex movements and behaviors.
When Play Isn’t Play
It can be challenging to distinguish genuine play from other squirrel behaviors that might look similar, such as actual aggression, territorial disputes, or courtship rituals. True play typically lacks the intent to harm, with behaviors appearing exaggerated or incomplete, and usually no sustained conflict or injury results. In contrast, aggressive encounters often involve sustained vocalizations like chattering, screeching, or growling, along with more intense physical contact like biting or scratching.
Territorial disputes, common among adult squirrels, involve intense chases that may include spiraling up trees to establish dominance or protect resources like food or nests. These chases are often accompanied by aggressive vocalizations and can result in physical contact if an intruder does not retreat. Mating chases, especially during breeding season, can look like play but involve multiple males pursuing a female. Observing the context, interaction intensity, and presence or absence of aggressive signals helps differentiate play from these more serious encounters.