Skwerrls are bushy-tailed, gargoyle faced demons from hell. I had a run in with one of these tree rats last fall but did not say anything as we have previously adequately discussed the danger to orchids and civilization in general as these monsters continue to strive for world domination. Even Sarah Palin supports them which does not surprise me. She probably has a secret pact with the 'Great Skwerrl' which will put her in charge of humanity when the Skwerrls finally take over. See: http://www.scarysquirrel.org/history/palin/ Nick

One of the very few positives about not having a mature forest around the house - NO TREE RATS! For now at least, they are staying in the woods. When the time comes, I figure I will finally get around to sighting in my pellet gun. A true pity they have destroyed some of your nice specimens but I bet the fothergilla will recover. It may take a couple of years, but I bet it comes back. In the mean time, you could invest in a litter of killer cats or dog breeds that are good at catching squirrels. Thing is you really need constant protection from the tree rats or they will attack when your guard is down. If you are concerned about the pellet hurting someone, put down $20 on a Red Rider BB gun and give em HELL!! You can shoot at them all day long and reuse your ammo. I have been shot with one a few times. As long as you avoid the eyes, they are pretty safe for adults. John

Rabbits don't like us humans to redecorate 'their' areas. Even when I rearrange my pet bunnies' room (they have the run of the screen porch,) they have to remark everything (chin rubbing) and will try to move things back. Teeth don't work well for hauling, so it's easier to just nip some things to try to get them to move. Also, bunnies teeth keep growing, so they chomp just to wear the teeth down. And bunnies love a project! Once they decide to start in on that new wallpaper, or new sofa, or new pine tree, they will go back again and again. That's why mine are no longer allowed in the bedrooms. They love to sit and pull carpetfibers out of the backing and will sit and pull fibers till they have a bald spot in the rug, in an OCD kind of way. So, I always plan to protect all new tree purchases when they are being planted in places where bunnies have nested in my yard. Wild bunnies think all new trees must be re-arranged too! Easiest for me is chicken wire around a tomato cage for support.

If what I am seeing there beneath the tail in your photo are testicles, which it looks like to me, then this fellow reminds me of one poor guy that I saw a time or two in the back yard this summer. I am aware that the testicles in adult males will enlarge or shrink depending on the breeding season, but this particular squirrel HAD to be in a world of inconvenience. I am guessing there was something wrong of course; he could not sit like a normal squirrel at all, but had to kind of rest off on one haunch or another any time he was upright on his back legs to eat. When he attempted to climb a tree the dang things kept getting in the way and obviously slowed him down a bit.Must have been like dragging a beanbag chair up the tree behind him. They were absolutely not normal, and yes, I actually HAVE seen a lot of squirrel testes in my time. I am no good with a camera but the two times I watched him in the yard up close I wish I had had one handy to get a shot or two. I know conditions like that occur in humans, such as ahydrocele. I wonder if this happens in other species as well.