Ever wondered if squirrels just gave up on hibernating? Truth is, most squirrels never really hibernate at all. They stay pretty active during winter, stash food, and take short naps called torpor to conserve energy.
So, here’s the gist: most tree squirrels stay busy even in the cold, while only some ground squirrels actually hibernate deeply.
You’ll figure out which squirrels sleep through winter, which just nap, and the clever ways they survive when it’s freezing. Curious about how to tell them apart? Or what that means for your backyard (or maybe even your attic)? Let’s dig in.
Do Squirrels Still Hibernate? Key Facts and Exceptions
Most squirrels skip long stretches of deep hibernation. Some slow down with short torpor naps, while a few truly hibernate. You’ll see which squirrels use each trick, what makes torpor different from real hibernation, and how changing weather messes with their routines.
Difference Between Torpor and Hibernation
Torpor is basically a quick, reversible drop in body temperature and energy use. It can last a few hours or maybe a day. Picture a tree squirrel curled up on a freezing night, slowing down to save energy, then bouncing back to life once the sun comes up.
Hibernation goes much deeper and lasts way longer—weeks or even months. Animals like the thirteen-lined ground squirrel drop their body temperature a ton, cycling between torpor and short periods of waking up. During those brief wake-ups, they might warm up, pee, or balance their blood chemistry before nodding off again.
Here’s the breakdown:
- Torpor: short, reversible, pretty common among tree squirrels.
- Hibernation: long and deep, mostly for ground squirrels and a few other critters.
- Hibernation zaps energy use and body temperature way more than torpor does.
Species That Hibernate vs. Stay Active
Most tree squirrels—think eastern gray and fox squirrels—don’t hibernate. You’ll spot them gathering nuts, growing fluffier coats, and napping in nests. Sometimes, they’ll use torpor on extra-cold nights, but they don’t disappear for months.
Ground squirrels actually do hibernate. The thirteen-lined ground squirrel is a classic example. It chills out (literally) for months, cycling through torpor and quick wake-ups. Some chipmunks and marmots do this too, but not every ground squirrel follows the same pattern.
Quick rundown:
- Hibernators: thirteen-lined ground squirrel, some ground squirrels, certain chipmunks.
- Non-hibernators: tree squirrels (like eastern gray and fox), most of the ones you see around neighborhoods.
- Mixed: a few species switch between torpor and short hibernation-like states, depending on food and where they live.
How Climate Changes Affect Squirrel Behavior
Warmer winters are shaking things up for squirrels. Tree squirrels seem to stay active longer and use torpor less often. Some ground squirrels might hibernate for shorter periods or change when they go in and out of torpor.
Unpredictable weather—like warm spells followed by sudden cold—forces squirrels to wake up more often. That burns more energy and can make survival tougher for hibernators. If food pops up early in spring, ground squirrels might come out sooner. Some researchers worry that these changes could throw off the delicate cycles of true hibernators like the thirteen-lined ground squirrel.
Winter Survival Strategies: How Squirrels Cope Without Hibernating
Squirrels get through winter by stashing food, building warm nests, and slipping into low-energy states now and then. You’ll notice fox and gray squirrels using all sorts of clever tricks to stay active even when it’s freezing out.
Food Storage and Foraging Patterns
Gray squirrels and fox squirrels love to bury nuts all over your yard. They use scatter-hoarding, hiding hundreds—sometimes thousands—of tiny nut stashes in leaves, mulch, and by tree roots. It’s a great way to keep their food safe from thieves.
They rely on memory and their noses to find those snacks on cold days. American red squirrels do things a bit differently, using a single big midden, but that’s not as common for fox and gray squirrels. After a sunny winter afternoon, you might see more digging as they head out to forage.
If you want to help, you can offer unsalted nuts in a feeder. Just be careful—feeding too many can encourage them to move into your house.
Shelter Choices: Dreys and Dens
Most tree squirrels sleep in dreys—those round nests made of leaves and twigs up in the trees. Dreys keep them cozy and usually get lined with moss or shredded bark. Fox squirrels also use tree cavities or even your attic if they find a way in.
Flying squirrels and some gray squirrels prefer tree cavities, and sometimes they squeeze into house eaves or attics. Cavities protect them better from wind and predators than open dreys do. Squirrels often switch sleeping spots and add new material to their nests after storms.
Hear scratching in your walls or see chewed-up soffits? Odds are, a squirrel picked your place over a tree nest. That’s a den—definitely not hibernation.
Squirrel Removal Tips for Homeowners
If a squirrel has moved into your attic or walls, jump on the problem fast or you could end up with a lot of damage.
Start by walking around outside and looking for chewed vents, loose shingles, or tree branches hanging within 6–8 feet of your roof. Those branches make it ridiculously easy for squirrels to get in.
Seal every entry point you find, but leave one spot open so the squirrel can still get out.
Put a one-way exclusion door at that last opening. The squirrel will leave, but it won’t be able to scramble back inside.
Once you’re sure it’s gone, go ahead and seal up every opening for good. Use 1/4-inch steel mesh or metal flashing—honestly, anything less and they’ll chew right through.
Don’t forget to put caps on your chimney and trim back any branches at least 8 feet away from your roof.
Skip poisons or glue traps. They’re cruel, and honestly, they just don’t work all that well.
If you’re dealing with a mess of squirrels or you think there might be babies, call a licensed wildlife control pro who knows the local rules.
Need more info on what squirrels do and where they go? Check out this overview of where squirrels go in winter: (https://squirreluniversity.com/where-do-squirrels-go-in-the-winter/).
