Odd Squirrel Behavior - When Squirrels De-Flesh Trees

The squirrels are at it again. They are up to activities that I've never read about in nature books. Right this moment a section of my yard is covered in pieces of tree bark. Above, several thin branches have been stripped bare and point to the sky like large, bony arms stretching upward in surrender.

The skinning of the trees began four days ago. I noticed it when I stepped outside for some fresh air and something fell on my head. I reacted in the natural way--with a gasp and vocalized, "Aaaaa!" and I reached a hand to my head to brush off whatever had fallen. I noticed then that it was a strip of bark, and that many similar pieces littered the ground before me. I looked up into the trees.

Perched on a thin twig high above the ground was a common eastern fox squirrel. I watched as he pulled a strip of bark, chewed on it for a moment, and then cast it aside with a flick of his tiny squirrel wrist. He turned to the tree branch and stripped off another piece. A squirrel on a neighboring branch was doing the same. With the puzzle of the fallen bark solved, I went back inside.

At around eight that evening I went outside again to check out the squirrels' progress, but they had stopped and were nowhere to be seen. The next day it was the same. They worked most of the day and then before eight they were gone. Apparently they have a pre-selected stopping time; that is the time when they grab their little squirrel lunch pails, clock out, and go home to watch squirrel television or something.

Intrigued, because I have an inquisitive mind or because I am just very easily amused, I asked a few friends about my squirrels' funny behavior. Why in the world were they stripping the trees? Most just laughed and said they had no idea why squirrels would do that. One person suggested they might be gathering supplies for a nest. I told her that could be, but if so they were not doing a very good job of it; the building materials were all over the ground and becoming sodden and filthy.