Understanding Squirrel Behavior: Why Do They Chase Each Other?

Have you ever seen two squirrels chase each other around a tree? Maybe you’ve been at a local park and witnessed multiple squirrels in a game of tag. If so, this question likely popped into your mind: Why do squirrels chase each other?

When you take some time to study the behavior of these small creatures, listen to the sounds they make, and consider the current season, you can determine the reason behind the chase.

Read the following information to learn about the chasing behavior of squirrels along with some other fun tidbits about these busy, adorable rodents.

Why Do Squirrels Chase Each Other?

There are many reasons why squirrels chase each other. Establishing territory, mating habits, playing, and exerting dominance are some of the primary reasons. Let’s discuss these behaviors in greater detail and how they all contribute to the great squirrel chase.

Chasing to Establish Territory

One of the reasons squirrels chase each other has to do with establishing territory. Different species of squirrels have territories of varying sizes. One squirrel can establish a territory that includes a couple of acres, while another has a territory of 25 acres.

It’s not so much the size of the territory, but the quality of the things contained in the territory. Squirrels look for areas with a large source of food and plenty of places to take shelter when foxes, hawks, and other predators enter the vicinity.

Chasing to Establish Dominance

Chasing is most commonly related to maintaining or establishing dominance, which is how territorial disputes are settled among squirrel species. Squirrels mark their territory to keep their food supply and shelter secure from other squirrels. All of these small mammals have an excellent sense of smell so they can detect the scent of another squirrel.

When you see two squirrels chasing each other it may be because one male has invaded the other male’s territory. Look closely and you’ll see they may be biting, nipping, or scratching each other as well. This sort of fight over territory can appear to be very violent.

Squirrels may also make screeching noises when in a fight for territory to try to scare their opponent away. Eventually, the squirrel that is defending its territory will cause the other one to move off. Or the squirrel that invaded the territory turns out to be dominant and takes the territory as its own. When it comes to these encounters, the strongest, most persistent squirrel wins out.

Chasing During Mating Season

If you see two or more squirrels chasing each other between December and February or June and August, it likely has to do with mating season. It’s not uncommon for more than one male to pursue a female that is ready to mate. The males chase each other in an effort to establish dominance and run the other males out of the area.

This sort of chase can go on for an hour or a few minutes depending on the strength of the males involved. The strongest male left after the chase is the one able to mate with the female. A male squirrel may also chase a female during the mating process.

Chasing to Protect a Food Supply

If you see two squirrels in a chase it may have something to do with food supply. Squirrels spend a lot of time gathering acorns, fruit, and vegetation to store in their nest during the cold weather months. Foraging for food is a matter of life and death with many animals. This store of food is a treasure that squirrels fiercely protect.

When there is a low supply of food in one area, it can lead to many of these chase scenes because the squirrels are fighting for survival. If they don’t have enough food stored away during the cold weather months, these animals won’t be able to survive or feed their young.

When one squirrel gets too close to another’s nest and food supply, the nest’s owner takes off after the intruder to move it away. Nipping, biting, and screeching are all behaviors on display when a squirrel is protecting its food supply.

Chasing as a Form of Play

You’ll be glad to learn that not all squirrel chases have an aggressive tone. If you see several squirrels running around in the branches of trees or on the ground, it may be a group of juvenile squirrels. They are likely siblings from the same litter.

Squirrel babies are born in the early springtime and the late summer. They won’t come out of the nest until they have a full coat of hair. Juvenile squirrels look like miniature versions of adult squirrels. Young squirrels aren’t able to live independently until they are 10 to 12 weeks old.

Juvenile squirrels chase each other and may even appear to be fighting. This is done out of fun and to help them develop speed so they can survive as adult squirrels. If you see a group of squirrels staying close to the same tree, then they are probably juvenile squirrels from a nest in that tree, playing a game of tag.