Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/squirrel-waits-at-backdoor-for-peanut/

For those who need to see something adorable, look no further than the video that features a charming little squirrel waiting for a treat. The video was filmed in Portland, Oregon by the man who supplies the little squirrel with his daily dose of peanuts.

In the adorable footage, you can see the squirrel, eagerly waiting by the door for the man to come out. Once the squirrel spots the man approaching the door, his excitement mounts because he knows he’s about to get fed.

The man then opens the door to greet the little critter, saying, “Good morning.” He then proceeds to offer the little guy a peanut.

But the squirrel doesn’t eat his treat right then and there. Instead, this little squirrel is saving up the peanuts for his winter stash. Many squirrels are known to be able to collect up to 10,000 nuts before the winter months hit, ensuring that they’ve got plenty of fuel to keep them going. Given their naturally prolific nut gathering skills, we can only assume this particular squirrel has got double the stash, given that he’s found a very generous source.

While squirrels might be known for having huge hoards of food, they don’t store their nuts all in the same place. Instead, these crafty critters will strategically hide their stash in different places as insurance in case their supplies are intercepted by other squirrels or animals.

But even more interesting than that, is that professors within the Department of Psychology at University of California, Berkeley found that squirrels will then use what is known as “spatial chunking,” a mnemonic technique where they space out and bury their nut troves. And these intelligent animals will even categorize all their nut by size, type, and taste, including nutritional value! According to LadBible, a 2008 study released by the National Wildlife Federation found that they will even trick potential thieves by engaging in “deceptive caching,” where they pretend to bury their nuts in one hole but really they take them to a secret location and bury them there.

Quite the crafty little animals. Given that this particular squirrel in Oregon is getting a daily treat, it makes us wonder if he can remember where he’s stashed all his peanuts for winter. How cute is the video below:

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Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog