Where have all the squirrels gone? (Memphis, Central: tax, safe, move)

[simcity]

What happened to the squirrels in Memphis, more specifically in the Galloway Park area? It’s now June and we have yet to see a single squirrel at the 100 acre Galloway Golf course park, what was once a sanctuary for these cute, furry and harmless critters. Also, there is a 3 acre park area at the corner of Poplar & Highland that used to have squirrels and not a single one has been spotted this year thus far.

Did the City of Memphis use our tax dollars to poison off the squirrel population? Surely such genocide didn’t occur, such cruelty was contained to the Memphis Animal Shelter I thought. Please tell me all the squirrels migrated to another park or perhaps they are all still hibernating?!?

My dog enjoys chasing after them, she wouldn’t hurt one if they actually stopped, she just wants to say hi, but it’s quite sad that she hasn’t seen any “friends” this year.

[(901)]

We have plenty of them on Central Avenue. I ran over one recently, it was sad

[Ginsaw]

They're there. They just move around to wherever there's a better deal.

I've seen six at one time in our yard in E. Memphis and a friend has seen twelve in his yard near Galloway.

That's more than I see in the woods out in the country. The city types are grey squirrels of course and are smaller than their country cousins, the red fox squirrels. Some of those are big enough they would scare a city squirrel.

Too bad so many get run over. You see them go to cross a street and they have it made, I mean they've cleanly beat easily the car that's coming. All they got to do is just go on and jump across the curb and keep going. But no, they have to go and do a not very smart thing. They reverse course and run right back in the car's way and sometimes lead another along too. But I keep managing to miss 'um somehow..

[simcity]

Well I'm glad you can vouch for them being here, I wish we could. Maybe its the time of day. We go out around 5 PM or later. I never see squirrels at night either, but I do see bats.

I think they get run over because they see danger coming and so they decide to avert the perceived danger by running back to the beginning, even if they are just inches from safety they will reverse course and cross 10 feet of pavement. Yep, that's what happens when your brain is the size of a walnut.

Oddly, I haven't seen any squirrel road kill around here this year either and I usually see a few flattened out by this time of the year.

[Kabluey]

Bats? Now THAT's cool. Where at?

[simcity]

The 100 park of Galloway Golf course, located between Poplar and Walnut Grove. I go jogging there around 3 to 4 AM and I see the occasional bat quite frequently. They seem like they are going to swoop down on your head, but they never touch me, or at least they haven't yet. It’s still very odd that I haven't seen a single squirrel this year, especially considering how often I frequent this park.

[hex_haight]

there are currently two sumo wrestling each other in my bird feeder. i know this because my boy cat is beating himself against the window in desparation. i wanted to attract birds and such to entertain my cats. i bought two three dollar super poorly made bird feeders that can work as a feeder or bath and a $20 double shepards hook and some seed. stuck the whole shebang right outside my front window. now my cats get to watch blue jays, doves, and squirels.

bats are creepy!

[strumpeace]

Look for the nuts!

[JoeCartpath]

I played Galloway on Sunday morning and saw several squirrels during my round....on the holes where I was in the trees

[Ginsaw]

"Look for the nuts!" Kinda like "follow the money"..

I'd be careful if you ever see any bats in broad daylight. That'd be unnatural and could be a sign of rabies or something. I saw one like that at the farm once and it just kept circling around and around over my head.

It's unlikely you'll see any city squirrels at 3-4 am or anytime at night. 5 pm is starting to push the time of day also when they begin to shut it down for the evening. At night they sleep and stay safe from predators. In the city we have more of those than you know. Coyotes in some places in Memphis and hawks and owls. A bird of prey can swoop down at night and put the snatch on a squirrel.

City squirrels beat to a different drummer than their country pals. Out there, they're active mainly in the first 2-3 hours of daylight and again almost at dusk and rest up during mid-day, excepting the right weather conditions. City squirrels are active mainly mid morning to late afternoon. They seem OK with being out at noon..