Anatomy Study Break - Squirrel Olympics

In the midst of these recent feature stories on the makeup of birds we can divert for a bit into awe and hilarity with Mark Ruber who produced a YouTube on his contest with squirrels raiding his daughter's bird feeder. 

Squirrels flying through the treetops come as close as any mammal can to the high-speed aerial agility of birds. What they lack in wings they surpass with puzzle-solving skills and fearlessness.

Mark began to learn about the well-endowed adversary he was up against when he bought a series of supposedly squirrel-proof feeders.

His investments were systematically plundered by crafty, athletic squirrels. He got to know and name the four marauders in 'his' yard.

Mark is a former NASA engineer with a garage workshop and a zany sense of humor. He and his buddy decided to make life tough for the squirrels and find out what feats they were really capable of. His wife made them promise not to hurt anybody.

Ever the scientist, he set up a nut buffet to determine their favorite food ‒ and bait. They preferred walnuts in every trial.

At the end of an obstacle course testing their intelligence, stamina and grit he constructed a squirrel's dream.

Each station in the course got progressively harder: The Bridge of Instability, The Maze of a Thousand Corridors, The Pitchfork Tumblers of Treachery, The Homewrecker, The Slinky Bridge of Deception, The Tourist Trap, The Quad Steps of Grid Elevation, and The Orbital Assist Platform. 

Mark videotaped the awesome heroics and shenanigans from a blind, like the big-time sports programs do. He analyzed them in slow motion. 

Pointing to the walnut stash Mark said, "If they make it here they've earned the right to gorge next to the birds for as long as they want." By the end of the week all the squirrels could do the full course in 40 seconds. There were winners in every direction--you, me, him, and the squirrel.

Flying squirrel

Now, back to anatomy class. Mark discovered that catapulted squirrels always land on their feet. He concluded they can survive a fall from any height by spreading their limbs like a parachute, lowering their terminal velocity, then extending their arms and legs as shock-absorbers. 

They instantly know where they intend to land. Mark calculated that within 300 milliseconds the squirrel fixes its eyes on that spot and keeps its head locked on target the whole way down through twists, turns and tumbles.

Its second trick in flight control makes a NASA man marvel. When the squirrel wants to keep his upper body from rotating he puts his arms and legs out. When it tucks them in, its body spins, a technique that figure skaters and ballerinas delight us with. Mark calls it straight up conservation of angular momentum.

At Halibut Point we witness our own squirrel performances in the treetops.

Red squirrel

It might not be as much fun as matching wits with them experimentally at the bird feeder, but these critters generally spark up a walk in the Park.