A delightful article on squirrel behavior, biology, and sociality today highlights just how great a model squirrels can be for some true comparative research. Here’s another species with phenomenal elasticity, good learning and sociality, and even specialized brain and body parts!
Behind the squirrel’s success lies a phenomenal elasticity of body, brain and behavior. Squirrels can leap a span 10 times the length of their body, roughly double what the best human long jumper can manage. They can rotate their ankles 180 degrees, and so keep a grip while climbing no matter which way they’re facing. Squirrels can learn by watching others — cross-phyletically, if need be.
In the acuity of their visual system, the sensitivity and deftness with which they can manipulate objects, their sociability, chattiness and willingness to deceive, squirrels turn out to be surprisingly similar to primates. They nest communally as multigenerational, matrilineal clans, and at the end of a hard day’s forage, they greet each other with a mutual nuzzling of cheek and lip glands that looks decidedly like a kiss.
The gray squirrel is diurnal and has the keen eyesight to match. “Its primary visual cortex is huge,” said Jon H. Kaas, a comparative neuroscientist at Vanderbilt University, A squirrel’s peripheral vision is as sharp as its focal eyesight, which means it can see what’s above and beside it without moving its head.
“We’ve seen seeds that were recached as many as five times,” said Dr. Steele. The squirrels recache to deter theft, lest another squirrel spied the burial the first X times. Reporting in the journal Animal Behaviour, the Steele team showed that when squirrels are certain that they are being watched, they will actively seek to deceive the would-be thieves. They’ll dig a hole, pretend to push an acorn in, and then cover it over, all the while keeping the prized seed hidden in their mouth. “Deceptive caching involves some pretty serious decision making,” Dr. Steele said. “It meets the criteria of tactical deception, which previously was thought to only occur in primates.”
Link to Natalie Angier’s Nut? What Nut? The Squirrel Outwits to Survive article
Neuroanthropology 
I truly enjoyed this informative post. I am a animal health technician working primarily with domestic animals, but have interned and worked with wild animals. They are so special to me and without them, my life would have less meaning. Somethings mentioned here I was not awared of. I love feeding caring for all wild animals.
Yisraela
“Raised” G.N. Grey to approximately 6 weeks. Gentle as can be playing with me inside, but an expert acrobat (even hung by his
rear feet and swung), outside who never seemed to stop running around and playing. Now he stays outside by, evidently,
his own choice, and was wondering if he was able to “hook up” and sleep with other squirrels or is he forever a loner in the same
expansive area he was abandoned in.
I have never seen any other animal able to out think humans who try to keep the guys out of bird feeders. Waxed poles, impossible jumps and death defining stunts that would make the best circus acrobat jealous. Pat Mikula