Alpha male Alpha female in animals.

[crazysquirrels]

Talula is NOT an Alpha female. How many of oyu have an alpha squirrel? I am wondering what makes up an Alpha squirrel. Are they the first born? The strongest? What drives these little ones.

[Rhapsody]

I have 5 cages atm that has 2 or 3 adult/teenage squirrels in each of them and each cage has an Alpha Squirrel in it....... one of the cages that has 3 squirrels in it has a Female as it Alpha Squirrel, and she is the biggest fattest Squirrel I have ever seen as she controls the food and takes what she wants from the other two with out them putting up much of a fight.

[madtowntom]

I have released about 25 squirrels in my yard over the last 4 summers. Many of them move on fairly quickly chased away by the more dominant. This past winter I had about 10 that would regularly come to the yard for the food I set out. Last fall there was a really small female that they tried to soft release from our wildlife center where they would get food regularly through the winter, but she was so small and was not fully "wilded up" so would still climb up peoples' legs. I decided to take her home and put her in my back yard where she would have limited exposure to people. She was fine all winter, but I noticed she really didn't grow that much. Well this spring she decided she was going to be the alpha squirrel in my yard. She has effectively terrified all of the other squirrels to the point where they won't come near the area that I put out food. She is easily the smallest squirrel in the area - so size apparently has little to do with being top squirrel. The minute someone comes toward her tree she races full speed after them and pounces on them - most of the time now they just run when they see her coming. They have all learned to stay clear. I had called her Pippy, but now her name is she-devil:rotfl

[Kristal]

There is actually no alpha in my family of four. Nibbler hit late stage male puberty first, and he definitely tried to take that role for a while. But then Squeaky beefed up, too, and there was a balance of power. They did a lot of posturing and probably had some fights because both of them are still missing some tail fur since then. Now we are back to the regular free for all as it was before. Even Babe is getting as long as he should be if not as muscular... yet. Theft is tolerated by anyone so long as the thing can be torn in half, such as an avocado piece. And sometimes they also tolerate it because they know I have more and don't feel like getting into an argument. My guys might be extraordinarily sweet, though. I just have the one point of reference. :dono

There are certainly advantages to being an easy going squirrel. That has always been Babe's strategy, to be a furtive thief and super cuddly + ingratiating. He always has a buddy to cuddle with, gets over conflict quickly, and is usually left alone to eat his nut in peace while the two big boys duke it out in ritual fashion before doing the same ;) He's mostly happy to be a buddy and a sidekick, and that works just as well if not better than being an alpha in terms of survival.