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Red Squirrels Dry Mushrooms in Trees for Winter

Red Squirrels Dry Mushrooms in Trees for Winter

What they found

Red squirrels in Maine break mushrooms into chunks and dry them on branches for winter.

Red squirrels in Maine break mushrooms into chunks and dry them on branches for winter.

How solid is it?

n/a

n/a

Not a study

Not a study

Evidence ladder: Lab dish → Animal → Early human → Strong human. Reviews summarize earlier research.

At a glance

Latin name

Published in

Bangor Daily News

Bangor Daily News

Covered in Shroom Scan

Section

Around the web

Around the web

As it ran in Shroom Scan

If you find mushrooms balanced on tree stumps out in the woods, you might be walking into a squirrel’s dehydrator. Aislinn Sarnacki reported the curious foraging habits of red squirrels in Maine and found that they treat their mushrooms with the tenderness of a chef handling truffles. Squirrels are known to break large mushrooms into chunks for drying and they usually use branches to provide airflow.

If you find mushrooms balanced on tree stumps out in the woods, you might be walking into a squirrel’s dehydrator. Aislinn Sarnacki reported the curious foraging habits of red squirrels in Maine and found that they treat their mushrooms with the tenderness of a chef handling truffles. Squirrels are known to break large mushrooms into chunks for drying and they usually use branches to provide airflow.

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