I, for one, welcome our tree-dwelling rodent overlords.

Another week, another new name for the blog. I quite like this one, though, so I'm going to try to stick with it for at least a month.

Having been here for three months now, and weathered a rather difficult and emotionally draining transitional period, I find myself emerging from a self-imposed shell of homesickness and a hermit-like existence, and starting to actually notice some details of the city in which we find ourselves living. As a result, henceforth I will try to post rather more frequent Toronto-centric observations, not least for my dear friends back in Blighty who are doubtless desperate to know what it is like here, and what wacky hi-jinks we are getting up to. I'm going to try my hand at a bit of urban cultural anthropology, as well as attempting to explore some of the more obscure, hidden corners of the city, both geographical and cultural. Mostly, though, I'm going to write about squirrels (skwerls for our North American readers).

Yes, the squirrels. Since moving here they have been one of the most obvious features of the town. Toronto is completely infested with squirrels. In a good way, at least I think so. I find that I am rather partial to squirrels, despite the fact that many folks who are of otherwise sound mind refer to them as 'rats with better outfits'. I mean, what's not to like? They run in a sine-wave, they've got big bushy tails, weirdly human little hands and right now the few that have yet to go into hibernation are grossly fat and great fun to chase. You can see them catching their breath after hauling their immense bulk up the nearest tree. Bless 'em.

Not long ago, when I was working at the U of T Bookstore (hi guys!) I walked across Queens Park each morning and evening and I have NEVER seen more squirrels per square foot. I decided to count them one morning and in ten minutes I was up to 80. God forbid that they should ever get organised. I, for one, welcome our tree-dwelling rodent overlords. They can get quite feisty if riled, believe me. See, for example, ChandraSutra's photo of two wrassling Toronto squirrels on Flickr. (Aside: there are two main types of squirrel in Toronto, black ones, and browny grey ones, and I like to imagine that, rather than living in harmony, they are actually at ideological loggerheads and are deeply untrustful of the 'other', ridiculing each others nut-burying techniques, frequently waging turf wars, &c. However, it turns out that they are all in fact Eastern Grey Squirrels, which fascinating tidbit I gleaned from the extremely comprehensive and excellent official City of Toronto website. So maybe they are all just friends and merely wrastle for fun?

Whatever, I don't think they would be any match for the fearsome Brixton Crack Squirrel, which feeds entirely on discarded rocks of crack cocaine and is generally rather bolshy for such a small creature. They used to hang out in the little park in front of the Ritzy Cinema, twitching spastically, dancing to music only they could hear and generally creating a malevolent ambience. The squirrels here are much friendlier and less intimidating. How archetypically Canadian. But I digress...

Anyway, all this is by way of saying that I think that squirrels are really rather lovely, and I want to thank them for helping - in a small way - to ease my transition to a new place. Thanks guys! I'll give you some nuts when y'all wake up in the spring.

Comments

[Chris]

I see Google has chosen to respond to your squirrel-based literature by putting pest-control ads on your page!

Here's the type they have in Africa. It has enormous nuts, as you can see:

[neil]

You have to come out to High Park (sadly, nowhere near as cool as Hyde Park) where the squirrels have organized themselves in these furry armies. They're absolutely everywhere, and in a constant state of conflict with the local waterfowl population.

One thing that I find mildly creepy is the fact that they clench their little squirrelly paws like furry fists when they look up at you... <shudder>

[rik]

I shall venture out there once I have equipped myself with Kevlar body armour. I see google adwords is having trouble coming up with enough squirrel-related material - I may need to do another post...

[Rebecca]

At least the squirrels in Toronto aren't predacious, the way the squirrels in Vancouver are -- particularly in Stanley Park, where I was once stalked by a gang of torn-eared, mangy-coated, drool-dripping-fanged black squirrels. Even the less carnivorous ones in Stanley Park will WALK ALL OVER YOU. Literally. Like crawl up your leg and perch on your shoulder, and begin mind-control experiments by penetrating your skull with their beady-eyed gaze. I am not kidding about this. Hey Rik, how about the Blue Tooth Parrot, and the Blue Tooth Terrifying Stanley Park Squirrel?

[Chandrasutra]

Thank you for the link to my squirrel pix! I wrote a full post on those wee furry critters in my blog ... http://chandrasutra.typepad.com/chandra/2004/10/urban_wildlife.html

As a fellow squirrel lover, I really enjoyed reading your post BTW!

[james]

No squirrel lover should miss are the albino squirrels of Trinity Bellwood Park. There are usually a couple of them born every year. This summer a particularly hardy albino was terrorizing the foraging grounds near Crawford Avenue, just north of the community centre. They really are quite eerie to see.