TIL that squirrels actually forget where they bury like 75% of their nuts

I was just scrolling through some random nature doc on YouTube last night, and this biologist said squirrels only remember about 25% of the spots where they stash their acorns. The rest just grow into trees or get eaten by other animals. I had no idea they were that forgetful. I always thought they had some kind of mental map or something. It kind of makes me feel better about my own memory, honestly. But now I'm wondering, how many trees in my neighborhood started because some squirrel just spaced out? Has anyone else found a weird fact like this that just stuck with you for no reason?

2 comments

2 Comments

kai46310d ago

honestly I think people take this whole squirrel memory thing way too seriously. like yeah they forget some nuts but is it really 75% or are scientists just guessing based on some small study? I've watched squirrels in my yard dig up nuts like they know exactly where they put them. maybe the ones that forget just weren't paying attention in the first place.

wren_walker6210d ago

Right? I've got a big oak in my backyard and those little guys are like little GPS units. I've watched one dig up like six nuts in a row in under two minutes, each from different spots. If they forgot 75%, half of my yard would be a forest. More like 75% of the nuts people think they hide are just them being seen carrying the same one to a new spot.