Results 1 to 12 of 12

Thread: Eastern Grey squirrel sounds - Sound of warning or distress?

Hybrid View

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2022
    Location
    East Coast US
    Posts
    15
    Thanked: 4

    Default Eastern Grey squirrel sounds - Sound of warning or distress?

    Mumford is not a very vocal squirrel. But sometimes he does have something to say. The sound is something like a very low chirp. Repeated usually every 30 seconds or so for about ten minutes. Is this a distress call or a warning of some kind?
    Funny thing is a few minutes later, he’s taking a nap. Any thoughts? Thank you for any replies.
    Attached Images Attached Images  

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2022
    Location
    .
    Posts
    663
    Thanked: 598

    Default Re: Eastern Grey squirrel sounds - Sound of warning or distress?

    How old is he? He looks like he is hurting.

  3. Serious fuzzy thank you's to McCarthy from:

    sundoesshine (06-21-2022)

  4. #3
    Join Date
    May 2022
    Location
    East Coast US
    Posts
    15
    Thanked: 4

    Default Re: Eastern Grey squirrel sounds - Sound of warning or distress?

    Quote Originally Posted by McCarthy View Post
    How old is he? He looks like he is hurting.
    Not hurting. He takes naps on my couch sometimes. Curls his tail over his head when he does. He’s almost ten months old now.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Planet Earth
    Posts
    17,915
    Thanked: 13299

    Default Re: Eastern Grey squirrel sounds - Sound of warning or distress?

    Quote Originally Posted by TheyCallMeMumford View Post
    Mumford is not a very vocal squirrel. But sometimes he does have something to say. The sound is something like a very low chirp. Repeated usually every 30 seconds or so for about ten minutes. Is this a distress call or a warning of some kind?
    Funny thing is a few minutes later, he’s taking a nap. Any thoughts? Thank you for any replies.
    Likely a warning, squirrels are territorial of their surroundings both inside or out and the chirping could be a warning to announce or protect it's territory.
    The majority of their alarms tend to be predator-specific, he may have seen something outside or a unexplained shadow or movement from something that caught his eye.
    They do have a variety of different combinations of alarm calls and signals. They may exhibit a single alarm call through tail flicks, use vocal signals or a combination of both.
    An act of aggression could be in the form of a guttural growl, chattering of teeth or stamping of feet, it's usually used as means of showing displeasure and warning that the
    squirrel may bite or attack. In case of
    aggression, avoid face plants, keep your head down, move out of harms way... fast!
    Step-N-Stone
    State Licensed
    Wildlife Master Rehabilitator


  6. 4 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to stepnstone:

    ABandNamed:Mumford&Crumbs (06-21-2022), island rehabber (06-21-2022), TheyCallMeMumford (06-28-2022), TubeDriver (06-21-2022)

  7. #5
    Join Date
    May 2022
    Location
    East Coast US
    Posts
    15
    Thanked: 4

    Default Re: Eastern Grey squirrel sounds - Sound of warning or distress?

    Quote Originally Posted by stepnstone View Post
    Likely a warning, squirrels are territorial of their surroundings both inside or out and the chirping could be a warning to announce or protect it's territory.
    The majority of their alarms tend to be predator-specific, he may have seen something outside or a unexplained shadow or movement from something that caught his eye.
    They do have a variety of different combinations of alarm calls and signals. They may exhibit a single alarm call through tail flicks, use vocal signals or a combination of both.
    An act of aggression could be in the form of a guttural growl, chattering of teeth or stamping of feet, it's usually used as means of showing displeasure and warning that the
    squirrel may bite or attack. In case of
    aggression, avoid face plants, keep your head down, move out of harms way... fast!
    That’s what I was thinking it was. He’s only exhibited it a few times. Never has he fallen asleep directly afterwards. Hmm.

  8. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2018
    Location
    Rivendell
    Posts
    1,861
    Thanked: 2154

    Default Re: Eastern Grey squirrel sounds - Sound of warning or distress?

    Would love to hear it if you can post a video.
    "I hope everyone got or gets their Baby Love today"~Shewhosweptforest

    https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/

  9. #7
    Join Date
    May 2022
    Location
    East Coast US
    Posts
    15
    Thanked: 4

    Default Re: Eastern Grey squirrel sounds - Sound of warning or distress?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chirps View Post
    Would love to hear it if you can post a video.
    I couldn’t get the video to attach or upload to submit. Any tips? Need to convert to a supported file? It’s an iPhone vid.

  10. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Northeast
    Posts
    20,012
    Thanked: 9440

    Default Re: Eastern Grey squirrel sounds - Sound of warning or distress?

    Can you put it on youtube or another host and just post the link to it here?

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •