The question of where squirrels seek refuge during a hurricane highlights the remarkable adaptability of small mammals to extreme weather events. While hurricanes present a severe challenge with intense winds, torrential rain, and habitat destruction, squirrels possess a suite of behavioral and structural adaptations that significantly increase their chances of survival. These resourceful rodents are highly attuned to environmental shifts, prompting them to initiate a focused survival strategy long before the storm’s strongest effects arrive.
Pre-Storm Preparation and Fortification
Squirrels are sensitive to environmental cues, such as the drop in barometric pressure that precedes a major storm system, acting as an early warning system. This instinct prompts an immediate and intense period of activity focused on two primary survival tasks: food security and shelter reinforcement. The hours and days before a hurricane make landfall are spent increasing their scatter-hoarding activity, burying an abundance of nuts and seeds across their territory.
This preemptive caching ensures they have accessible food sources once the immediate danger passes and the environment is too chaotic for foraging. Their existing nests, known as dreys, also undergo significant fortification. These animals actively seek out pliable materials like fresh green leaves, moss, and additional woven twigs to pack into the spherical structure of the drey.
The addition of these damp or elastic materials creates a denser, more insulated wall that is less permeable to wind and rain. By weaving and compacting the structure, the squirrel effectively increases the drey’s integrity, making it more resistant to the high-shear forces of hurricane-force winds.
Immediate Shelter During Peak Weather
When the hurricane reaches its peak intensity, squirrels retreat to the most secure shelters available in their territory. The preferred location is a natural tree cavity, which is a hollow space inside a trunk or a large limb. These cavities offer superior protection because they are surrounded by the tree’s thick wood, shielding the animal from wind, flying debris, and intense rainfall.
A tree cavity provides a relatively stable microclimate, offering a dry, wind-free refuge where the squirrel can hunker down. If a suitable tree hollow is unavailable, the animal will rely on its reinforced drey, typically situated high in a sturdy tree crotch. Although less protective than a cavity, the dense, ball-shaped drey offers enough insulation and wind resistance to survive moderate hurricane conditions.
During the storm’s height, the squirrel adopts a state of reduced activity, remaining motionless to conserve energy. They use their sharp, strong claws to grip the interior surfaces of their shelter, whether it is the rough bark inside a hollow or the tightly woven twigs of a drey. This behavior minimizes the risk of being dislodged by violent gusts of wind until the worst of the weather has passed.
Post-Storm Recovery and Assessment
As the hurricane moves away, the immediate challenge for the squirrel is emerging into a drastically altered and hazardous environment. The first action is an assessment of their immediate surroundings, including the structural integrity of their nest and the safety of the tree itself. Fallen trees and widespread debris present new barriers and risks, forcing the animals to navigate an unfamiliar landscape.
Squirrels must quickly locate and recover their cached food stores, which may have been displaced or buried by floodwaters or shifting soil. The disruption of the forest canopy also leads to increased exposure to predators, as the natural cover they rely on for safety is often severely reduced. Surviving the storm is only the first step; securing resources in the aftermath is equally challenging.
Mortality rates are notably higher for young squirrels, particularly those still confined to dreys, which are more susceptible to being blown out of trees than tree cavities. Mothers whose nests were destroyed must undertake the strenuous and dangerous task of rapidly relocating their young to a secondary, intact nest or building a new one from scratch.