E74 John Koprowski – Squirrels: Tiny Athletes, Brilliant Survivors & Backyard Geniuses 🐿️🌳

Send us Fan MailSquirrels raid our bird feeders, bury thousands of nuts, leap between trees, and somehow seem to outsmart nearly every obstacle we put in their way. But just how remarkable are they?In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott Harris sits down with squirrel expert John Koprowski of the University of Wyoming to explore an animal nearly everyone knows—but few of us truly appreciate.John has spent much of his career studying squirrels, a family that includes more than 300 species spread across much of the world. Their extraordinary success comes from an impressive combination of intelligence, memory, athleticism, adaptability, and senses finely tuned to finding food and avoiding becoming somebody else's dinner. In this episode:🐿️ Why squirrels make such great gateways into the natural world🥜 How squirrels remember where they've buried thousands of nuts👃 The astonishing role smell plays in finding food—and other squirrels🌳 How squirrels can leap 20 feet between branches and survive enormous falls🦅 The constant battle to avoid hawks, foxes, coyotes, snakes, and other predators👶 How mother squirrels carry their babies—and John's unforgettable encounter with one protective mom🏡 Why squirrels have become so successful living alongside humansScott also confesses something that may get him thrown out of the birding community: he actually enjoys watching squirrels raid his feeders. And John explains why those seemingly impossible squirrel-proofing challenges reveal just how perfectly adapted these little mammals really are. Funny, fascinating, and filled with stories, this conversation might just convince you to stop fighting your backyard squirrels and start watching them.