You probably know that tree squirrels like eastern gray squirrels love nuts and seeds, right? And you may know that they bury a lot of nuts in different places so they have food to eat at times when nuts are scarce. But did you know that they hide away a lot more food than they will return for? And that those forgotten nuts and seeds then sometimes become new trees and plants?
In fact, squirrels could be considered big contributors to reforestation efforts because of their forgotten nuts and seeds. It’s not just because of all those forgotten foods. Gray squirrels also tend the bury the healthiest nuts and seeds they find, eating damaged nuts and seeds first. This, in turn, makes it more likely that the food they leave behind eventually sprouts into a new plant.
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