Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

The Eastern Fox Squirrel

by Alice Delaney

The Eastern fox squirrel is a busy little fellow,

Who could be described as anything but mellow.

You see him darting in yards & parks all over the place,

Also in forests & woodlands, a truly recognizable face.

Gathering food in the day & sleeping at night,

Always alert to danger, for squirrels are prone to fright.

So careful’s the mom she covers the babies when time to eat,

With grass over their little bodies, from danger to keep.

Scurrying about they find favorite nuts, fruits, & berries,

Away they will take them & in their cheeks can carry

A stash for later where buried or placed in a tree

Hidden away where no one might see.

Later, time comes when food is nowhere to be found,

The squirrel’s memory & smelling lead’em to the mounds.

These stashes for later sometimes remain unfound,

But this can help reforestation to come around.

Watch your bird feeder, though, for these genius guys

Always seem to find a way into them, oh me, oh my!

People have tried to outsmart the squirrel a long time,

Using many hours, not to mention quite a few dimes.

Now you have heard the good and the bad

Indeed we find this squirrel really quite rad.