Ezo Red Squirrel
Ezo Red Squirrel: Hokkaido’s Bushy-Tailed Busybody
If you’ve ever wandered through the forests of Hokkaido, you might have spotted a flash of reddish fur darting between the trees, or perhaps heard the rapid chatter of a creature scolding you from a branch overhead. This little ball of energy is none other than the Ezo red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris orientis), one of Hokkaido’s most charming and ubiquitous residents. With its tufted ears, bushy tail, and frenetic personality, the Ezo red squirrel brings life and animation to Hokkaido’s forests all year round.
Unlike some of the more elusive wildlife of Hokkaido, the Ezo red squirrel is relatively easy to spot—though catching it in one place long enough to get a good look is another matter entirely. Whether it’s scampering across the forest floor or bounding from branch to branch like a tiny acrobat, the Ezo red squirrel is always on the move, busily gathering food, defending its territory, or simply making sure everyone knows who’s boss.
Diet: Nuts, Seeds, and a Whole Lot of Scurrying
Ezo red squirrels are true foragers, with a diet that shifts with the seasons. During the warmer months, they feast on a veritable buffet of seeds, nuts, and berries, with a particular fondness for pine cones, acorns, and hazelnuts. They’re especially fond of the seeds from coniferous trees, like the Japanese white pine, and they’ll spend hours meticulously stripping cones to get at the seeds hidden inside.
As autumn approaches, the Ezo red squirrel’s already frenetic activity shifts into overdrive. This is the season of caching, a fancy way of saying “squirreling away food for the winter”—a term that is delightfully accurate in this case. The squirrels stash nuts and seeds in various locations around their territory, carefully hiding them in the ground, under leaves, or in the crooks of trees.
What’s truly remarkable is that they somehow manage to remember where they’ve hidden most of these caches, even months later, under a thick blanket of snow. Their spatial memory is a marvel of nature, though like anyone who’s misplaced their keys, they don’t always get it right. Some of those forgotten caches eventually sprout into new trees, contributing to the regeneration of Hokkaido’s forests—a happy accident for the local ecosystem.
Habitat: The Forest Acrobat
Ezo red squirrels make their homes in Hokkaido’s mixed and coniferous forests, where they find both food and shelter. They are particularly fond of forests with plenty of old-growth trees, which provide ample nesting sites and a steady supply of nuts and seeds. These forests, rich in spruce, fir, and Japanese white pine, are the perfect playgrounds for a species that spends much of its time moving vertically rather than horizontally.
You’ll often see Ezo red squirrels bounding through the trees with what seems like reckless abandon, leaping from branch to branch with the agility of a seasoned acrobat. Their bushy tails act like balancing poles, helping them navigate the forest canopy with precision. When they’re not up in the trees, you’ll find them darting across the forest floor, noses to the ground, on the hunt for one of their many hidden food stashes.
Ezo red squirrels are territorial creatures, and they defend their patch of the forest with vigor. Should you accidentally wander into one’s domain, you’ll likely be greeted with a rapid-fire series of chirps and barks from above as the squirrel tries to assert its dominance. It’s all bluster, of course—they’re more bark than bite—but it adds to their larger-than-life personality.
Best Places to See Them: Forests of Hokkaido
If you’re hoping to see an Ezo red squirrel in action, your best bet is to head to one of Hokkaido’s many forested areas. Furano’s very own Daisetsuzan National Park, the largest national park in Japan, is a prime location for squirrel-spotting, thanks to its vast stretches of unspoiled wilderness. The park’s mix of coniferous trees and temperate forests provides the ideal habitat for these busy rodents, and a quiet hike through the park’s trails is likely to yield more than a few sightings.
Closer to Sapporo, Maruyama Park is another popular spot for squirrel enthusiasts. The park’s accessible trails and old-growth trees make it a haven for wildlife, and the squirrels here are so accustomed to human visitors that they may not be as shy as their wilder counterparts. You can also try Nopporo Forest, where the dense trees and relative seclusion make it a favorite spot for wildlife watching.
If you visit Hokkaido in spring, you’ll get to see the Ezo red squirrels at their most active, darting about in search of food to replenish their winter-depleted stores. During autumn, they’re hard at work preparing for the winter months ahead, gathering and stashing food with even more urgency. But it’s in winter, when the snow blankets the ground, that their resilience really shines. As one of the few animals that doesn’t hibernate, the Ezo red squirrel remains active throughout the season, digging through snow to find its hidden caches of food.
Winter Survival: Tougher Than They Look
Winter in Hokkaido can be brutal, with temperatures dropping well below freezing and snow piling up several feet deep. But the Ezo red squirrel takes it all in stride. Unlike some of the island’s other creatures that sleep through the winter, these squirrels stay active all year long, foraging for food even in the deepest snow.
Their thick fur coat, which grows even bushier in winter, provides excellent insulation against the cold, while their sharp claws allow them to climb trees and dig through snow with ease. Though they don’t store fat like some animals, they rely on their buried caches of food to see them through the long winter months.
Watching an Ezo red squirrel dig through the snow to retrieve a long-forgotten pine cone is a testament to their incredible survival skills. They somehow remember the location of the majority of their food stores, despite the snow covering the landscape and altering the terrain. And on particularly cold days, they’ll retreat to their dreys—nest-like structures made of twigs, leaves, and moss, tucked high up in the trees, where they can stay warm and sheltered from the elements.
Breeding Season: New Additions to the Forest Family
The Ezo red squirrel’s breeding season typically begins in late winter or early spring, when the days start to lengthen and the promise of warmer weather is on the horizon. Males chase females through the trees in a frenzied courtship display, their speed and agility making the process look more like an aerial circus than a romantic pursuit.
Once mated, the female builds a well-insulated nest high in the trees, where she’ll give birth to a litter of three to five kits after a short gestation period. The kits are born blind and hairless, but they grow quickly, and within a few weeks, they’re covered in soft fur and ready to venture out of the nest. By the time summer arrives, the young squirrels are practicing their climbing and foraging skills, learning the ropes of forest life from their ever-watchful mother.
By autumn, the young squirrels are fully independent, ready to start their own cycle of caching, defending territories, and preparing for the winter ahead. With luck, some of these young will live to repeat the process the following spring, adding to Hokkaido’s ever-thriving population of red squirrels.
Conservation: Guardians of the Forest
Although the Ezo red squirrel is not currently endangered, it plays a vital role in the health of Hokkaido’s forests. By burying nuts and seeds, the squirrels inadvertently help regenerate the forest, as the seeds they forget to dig up eventually grow into new trees. In this way, they act as tiny foresters, ensuring that the island’s woodlands remain healthy and vibrant for future generations.
However, like many species, the Ezo red squirrel faces challenges from habitat loss and deforestation. As Hokkaido’s forests are cleared for development or agriculture, the squirrels lose the trees they depend on for food, shelter, and nesting sites. Conservation efforts aimed at protecting Hokkaido’s old-growth forests are crucial for the survival of this species and the many other creatures that call the island’s forests home.
Cultural Significance: A Symbol of Hokkaido’s Natural Charm
In Japan, squirrels are often seen as symbols of energy, perseverance, and resourcefulness—traits that the Ezo red squirrel embodies perfectly. Its constant motion, unrelenting drive to prepare for the future, and ability to adapt to changing environments make it a fitting emblem of the wild spirit of Hokkaido.
The Ezo red squirrel’s undeniable cuteness hasn’t gone unnoticed, either. It has become a popular subject in local artwork, children’s books, and tourist souvenirs, its tufted ears and bushy tail making it a beloved mascot of the island’s natural beauty.
Final Thoughts: The Busy, Bushy-Tailed Squirrel of Hokkaido
If you’re looking for a wildlife encounter that’s as entertaining as it is endearing, you can’t do much better than spending some time watching the Ezo red squirrel in action. Whether it’s scampering up a tree trunk, bounding across the forest floor, or burying a precious nut for later, this little squirrel is a true delight to observe.
So, the next time you find yourself wandering through Hokkaido’s forests, take a moment to look up into the trees. You might just spot one of these bushy-tailed busybodies going about its day, adding a touch of charm and energy to the serene beauty of Hokkaido’s natural landscape.