I originally planned to call this post “Do all those peanuts make my butt look big?” but, with the recent release of the movie about the rock group Queen, I’ve been hearing snippets of their greatest hits – one of those hits was “Fat Bottomed Girls” so I knew I had to change this post title.
If you’re of a certain age group, surely you drove down the highway, with the windows closed or open, while belting out the lyrics to “Bohemian Rhapsody”? I know I could probably dust the whole house, singing at the top of my lungs, while listening to that song since it is 5 minutes and 55 seconds long.
Anyway …
You know that squirrels bulk up their bodies as cold weather nears. We had a really cold week back in late August and I began seeing squirrels digging furiously to deposit their peanuts for safekeeping for the Winter ahead as well as munching constantly. Those squirrels remember last Winter here in Michigan when we had 62 inches of snow in the metro area – I thought it was never going to stop snowing and it lingered into early April. So our furry friends are savvy and have been tucking away goodies for months now.
A friend who knows all about my affinity for squirrels, sent me a website about their habitats and what foods they like to eat. At that website I learned that squirrels forage and bury up to three years’ worth of food in the course of the Summer and Fall. I had no idea! I know the squirrels at Council Point Park take every opportunity to beg for peanuts or other treats from the three guys and myself who regularly feed them. I also learned at this website that it is not those peanuts, walnuts or Nutter Butters that I feed my pals that increases their girth and makes them waddle rather than scurry these days, but they develop not just an extra layer of fat, but a thick “under fur” to enable them to withstand the Winter elements.
Just for comparison, here was Parker back in early July before the hunting and gathering began.
Check out that slim profile!
So now that you know the truth behind those added inches, which likely many of us will add to our waistlines in the coming six weeks, I offer you this collection of chubby squirrels. Enjoy!
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Wow! The comparison between those two sets of pictures is amazing! I am of “a certain age”, but I never cared for Queen. Hubby likes them, though, so he would probably sing Bohemian Rhapsody with you! 🙂
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Isn’t that amazing Laurie? I’ve thought all along it was just the treats bulking them up. I did not know they have a extra fat layer plus extra fur. The article said all healthy squirrels have this phenomenon come Winter. “Bohemian Rhapsody” sticks in my mind as their biggest song and I think I still know all the words since I heard it so much back in the day! I thought it was the longest song ever, but “Hey Jude” is even longer, another one from our past.
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Love The Beatles and Hey Jude! All those na-na-nas at the end! 🙂
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I love the Beatles too, every since the beginning when we all sported our “I love ________” metal buttons circa ’64. All those na-na-nas at the end pushed it to the longest song. 🙂
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The old chief said, “It’s gonna be a hard winter. The white man’s woodpiles are huge and their pet squirrels have arses a axe handle wide!
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Ha ha – well Fred, you said the other day that squirrel was going to explode! You wouldn’t believe how fat they got until you could make a comparison so that’s why I included a Summer picture.
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Three years worth of food is a whole lot of food! I know crows that stash their food do “fake” stashes to mislead other crows who are watching. Some crows that are fed by humans bring them little shiny presents/gifts as tokens of appreciation. Crows, they are finding, are super smart! 🙂
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Isn’t that amazing? And I think another factoid I read was they eat one pound of food a week. I believe it was you who told me a week or so ago, that crows put peanuts in the middle of the road and let cars run over them so they could eat them afterward without using any effort. There was a story a few years ago about a Canadian crow that was very intelligent and well known in a neighborhood. I remembered his name was “Canuck” so I just looked for him. See this video from YouTube, where he has befriended a mail carrier, but only after the mail carrier bribed him with peanuts. Made me smile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f0VQymaa1E
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Yes, i was the one who said that they put nuts (not peanuts) in the middle of the road for cars to crack. That video was excellent! Thanks! When i was a young boy, there was a huge Raven that took a liking to me, would follow me home, and would even stare at me through my bedroom window. I’ve been watching more YouTube videos lately about the intelligence of crows and ravens. 🙂
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I thought it was you Tom. There were videos from a few years ago about Canuck and his escapades but mostly just showing up at restaurants and “barging in” … I like how the mailman interacted with him. I think I’ve heard before that crow and ravens are very smart – they look very similar. That Raven liked you even before you became a poet. 🙂
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Great photos Linda! I’m sure that by the time spring comes around, those squirrels will be the perfect weight. Happy Walking!
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Thanks Sabine – I thought the before/after were just amazing! They have at least six months of cold and snow to endure.
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Interesting and beautiful photos as always TFS
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Thanks Sharon – glad you enjoyed those fat-bottomed squirrels. I suggested to them that they wear black pants as they will always look slimmer, and I told them my fashionista blogging buddy Sharon would suggest the same thing if she were here. 🙂
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Beautiful pictures on the squirrels!😊 Have never seen such chubby squirrels!😁
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They are almost waddling now – I was amazed when I did a before-and-after photo! 🙂
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Parker was so thin then and now he is so different. MG, these squirrels know how to keep up with the trends- bikini body for the summer and a covered body for the winter. I am not familiar with the songs you mentioned. I am glad you are the squirrels’ friend.
Susie
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It is just amazing the before-and-after photos. I decided after looking at some of the chubby pictures that I knew I had pictures of Parker that showed how skinny he was and sure enough I did. You’d think all the running they do that they would be skinnier, even after eating peanuts and treats. Queen was popular beginning back in the 70s and big in the 80s as well. They were flamboyant but their music was really spectacular. You have to hear “Bohemian Rhapsody” because that was their signature song and it is unlike anything you have ever heard before: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ
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LOL – I don’t know if I laughed harder at the speed cleaning or the squirrel pictures? Parker is ready for a long winter’s nap! Very funny…and yes, I’ve been known to sing that song while driving, but I keep the windows up – I can’t carry a tune, I wouldn’t want to scare any squirrels as I drive by!
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I’m glad I gave you a smile Shelley – yes, I don’t gather any moss while I am dusting! I have sang that song in the car many a time … back when it was so popular it seemed it was on the radio once an hour at least. Kind of embarrassing that I listened to it on YouTube and still remembered all the words after all these years. Hmmm I can’t carry a tune either. I wouldn’t sing in the Park – Parker might run off into the bushes from the screeching and I’d never see him again. I should say he would waddle off as he and his pals are so chunky now- they are huge as you saw and are a. All primed and ready for the long Winter ahead.
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The title of your post made me laugh. Yes we are of that certain age group.
Although we have squirrels living on the farm they are not people friendly and photo opps are rare. It is interesting to see the difference in size.
I didn’t realize that the stored 3 years worth of food but it makes total sense. Nut trees don’t produce high yields every year – with a little bit of research I found that Walnuts usually produce high yields every other year – Hickory nuts have a 3 year cycle with one heavy year, then one average year, then one light year – oaks may produce in 4 or 5 year cycles. So storing enough food for three years must be part of their survival instinct.
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That was interesting Ruth. We had two big oak trees for years in the backyard then we had to cut them down due to carpenter ants. The trees used to hang over the metal shed roof and the squirrels would go up in the trees, loosen the acorns and let them plop down on the roof of the shed. We’d hear them falling down and they’d collect in the roof corners – payday for the squirrels! I had to rake them up before I could mow as there were so many. Those squirrels are industrious, aren’t they?
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They have certainly chubbed up. My cats, although they don’t go outside at all, tend to eat more to bulk up in the fall. Maybe it’s instinctive or maybe it’s a con. In either case, I indulge them. 🙂
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Like us enjoying bread pudding and mac-n-cheese on those Wintry days. Interesting, and, if it is a con, it worked the first time for Mom, so it will going forward! 🙂
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Parker is definitely going to be warm this winter…hahahaha
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Miss Linda……………………………….I didn’t know about the squirrels and why they always look “so fat” come winter…………………………..thinking they just gorge themselves…………………………….thanks for passing on the info……………about our furry friends
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I didn’t know that either Ann Marie … I was surprised but most of my little furry pals are getting porky.
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I have that Queen album & I still have the poster that came with it of all the naked women bicyclists!
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I really liked Queen back in the day and sometimes now I listen to their music on YouTube … still remember all the words to their songs, especially “Bohemian Rhapsody”. I mentioned the song and the naked women bicyclists poster to my boss one time as he rides his bike 25 or more miles a day in good weather (he leaves the office and goes to Belle Isle which is near the office). Robb is 9 years older than me and was more into jazz or classical music. He said “no way would women pose naked on bicycles – I want to see that” so I told him to Google the image … he said “OMG!” I said I don’t want to hear about you getting arrested for trying that out, stick to your bicycle pants and tee-shirt when you ride in Detroit.
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your Boss forgets that money can make humans do things they other wise wouldn’t.
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That is true – I wonder how many of those young ladies look at that picture now and cringe? They were not your typical “biker chicks”.
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they probably got them through a modelling agency.
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You’re probably right about that.
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How nice that the squirrels shrink back to normal after the winter. Why doesn’t that work for us????
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I agree – I guess the comparable thing is “fat pants” and “skinny pants” since we can’t shrink down again if we eat all the treats. I remember the character of Rhoda Morgenstern saying to Mary Richards on the Mary Tyler Moore Show: “once on the lips, forever on the hips!” It is pretty amazing isn’t it? That first picture of the chubby squirrel – he has such a pained look on his face like “really, what do you want – I’m eating here!”
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Quite a difference in the before and after pictures! I think it means we are in for another bad winter! I was wondering if they are as active once the winter sets in or do they hibernate in their nests?
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I know it is amazing Joan. I hope that this is not an omen either. They will be active in the Winter if there are walkers down there and not too much snow – last year we had so much snow they were walking on top of the hard snow as it was so cold so the snow was not soft and fluffy. I just remembered I was going to mention that there was ice on the path already in today’s post. I had to walk on the snow next to the pathway to avoid wiping out on it as it was glare ice. Not all over, just on the side that runs along the Creek. It is way too early for this nonsense.
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Oh, I am glad Parker and co are bulking up for the winter and you have been able to help them along the way. 🙂 You must have loved the squirrel website and learning about your sweet peanut pals .
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I did Zena – I was amazed to learn those facts and the website said that if a squirrel is healthy, his body will enable him/her to grow that extra layer of fur, and obtain that extra fat layer and thus survive. So, all this time, I thought their getting chubby was eating all the peanuts and treats the three walkers and I give them. I am usually the first one at the Park, and the other walkers get there about a 1/2 hour to an hour after me. So they have a good hour or two to gorge themselves, though they do hide a lot of those peanuts. They are smart!
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Animals are all so intellegent Knowing what works to get them through difficult times fascinated me. You and the other walkers helping them along the way is so heart warming. ❤
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I gave them walnuts the other day for Thanksgiving – they really liked them the last time and they are actually better for them peanuts as there is more protein which will keep them full longer. I didn’t take any peanuts to ensure they ate just the walnuts. I think the weather is going to be bad this Winter again despite what they originally predicted. We are having rain turn into snow again tomorrow night and I don’t think we will get a lot of snow in my part of Michigan, but snow is on the way so I guess we’ll just deal with it … so I try to ensure they have enough food, as do the other walkers, so that they do not have to do without in the Winter months when we don’t get down there every day.
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So excited about this post– these have got to be the cutest little squirrels ever!!!!
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Glad you liked it Mackenzie and I knew you’d giggle at the title being a knock off of the Queen song. Today’s post will feature more squirrels … they are the cutest squirrels ever and their roly-poliness (is that a word) makes them even more endearing!
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