where do squirrels sleep at night?

Question

cuz theres like coyotes that can eat them at nite. DO they make nests?

Answer 1

they have nests.. large ones, and are generally up HIGH in large trees.
you can often see them in the fall, a bundle of leaves stuck up in a tree, they are pretty good size.

Coyotes dont climb either, at least they cant get up a tree to where the squirrel lives...

Answer 2

Squirrels are diurnal, or active during the day. During the spring and summer months, squirrels construct nests out of leaves, twigs, and shredded material. These nests, or dreys, are built high in a three between two strong branches. During the colder months, squirrels prefer to build a nest, called a den, in a hollow tree cavity. Squirrels do not hibernate during the winter.

Having a warm and safe place to sleep, shelter and raise a family is a top priority for any animal. In the squirrels' case, the home can be either a natural tree hollow or a nest it makes itself. These two types of home are know as Dens and Dreys.

A den is a hollow space in a tree (this may have previously been made by a woodpecker), which the squirrel lines with soft and warm leaves, grasses and mosses. This provides an excellent safe and warm place for the squirrel to sleep and shelter from the elements. Dens are always hard to find because they are hidden away; they are generally built up in a tree and are often only spotted when you actually see the squirrel disappear inside.

A drey is a ball shaped nest about 50 centimeters across, made by thesquirrel in the cleft of a tree. The nest is constructed of twigs and sticks that the squirrel carefully makes into a shelter. The twigs are built so that the centre is hollow; this hollow is then filled with soft material, just as with the den . The squirrel makes the nest by carefully selecting twigs, nibbling them off and then putting them into place using its teeth and front paws. A squirrel may make many trips back and forth to make its drey. A well made one may last for two or three years, through wind, rain and storms. Making a nest on the outside of the tree means that it might be exposed to the wind and rain more easily. To try and solve this problem the squirrel is careful about where it makes its drey. Right in the middle of the tree, near the trunk is a much better place than out on the end of the branches. Near the trunk, there will be more leaf cover to protect from the rain, and the branch will move less, making it less likely that the drey will be blown or shaken apart. The squirrel also makes its drey quite high up in the tree (over 5 meters). The higher up the squirrel, the less likely it is to be found by ground predators like foxes or cats.

Just as squirrel will happily find enough to eat in both conifer and deciduous woods, they are also equally happy to make their nest in either coniferous or deciduous woods. Red squirrels seem to be more successful in coniferous forests, while grey squirrels prefer broad-leaved forests.

Squirrels normally use more than one drey or den at a time, swapping every few days. This provides them with an alternative home if their nest becomes wet or is destroyed in bad weather. It also allows the squirrel to reduce the level of parasite infestation they suffer by leaving parasites behind in the nest.

Answer 3

Where Do Squirrels Sleep

Answer 4

SURE they make nests! :D

AND they DO get EATEN by carnivores. ;)

My personal squirrel population went down from about FIFTY to NEAR ZERO when some foxes moved in across the street! :P

You can watch a squirrel nest function (in season) and learn other important squirrel facts at

http://newyorkwild.org/squirrels/squirrels2005.htm

You can also learn ALL ABOUT squirrel nesting by checking

http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/research/papers/gray_squirrel/gray_squirrel_nest_survey.pdf#search='squirrel%20nest'

Those take awhile to load, so be patient! ;)

Enjoy!

Answer 5

Squirrels make covered nests from twigs high in a tree top, away from coyotes. They may also live in a hole in a tree, and some ground squirrels live in a den (hole in the ground).

Answer 6

Squirrels build nests/shelters in trees.

Answer 7

In dreys - squirrel nests. They're usually in holes in trees (think Beatrix Potter)

Answer 8

Squirrels make nests called dreys...you can usually find one high up in trees. Looks like a big bird nest.

Answer 9

They have a nest type thing they sleep in, they normally sleep high in a hollow in a tree.

Answer 10

It all depends on the species, some prefer trees, some old fallen logs, others burrow underground, and yes, they do build nests.