GRAB & GO

I weighed a handful of dried oak leaves, and it came out to just over 2 ounces. Two ounces is what I approximate an average grey squirrel, like the one in my photo, is transporting in its mouth. So, it would take 8-mouthfulls of leaves to make a pound of leaves. I watched this squirrel go up and down this tree with a mouthful of leaves +/- 18 times for approximately 47 minutes before its labors ceased. OK, if my 3rd grade math hasn't failed me that's at least 2 pounds of leaves stuffed in that tree hole where the squirrel needs to keep warm for the next two months. Two pounds of leaves for an average 10-inch-long squirrel, that weighs on average 1.25 pounds. The fact that squirrels are somewhat laterally compressed requires a lot of surface insulation to encapsulate the body of a squirrel. Of course, squirrels curl into little balls inside the leaf mass to maximize the leaf-to-body surface - one more trick up their sleave.

Conclusion:

With Guard hairs being as dense as they are on a squirrel and nestled within inside 2-pounds of leaf insulation, inside the confines of a tight tree hole, you can see how it's able to survive consistent 20-degree nights and 30-degree days.