This one does exactly what it says on the tin, folks. And yes, it is the best thing.

Food-caching is a system of hoarding common to a number of species in the animal kingdom, though squirrels are probably some of the better-known creatures to practice it – hence one of my favorite verbifications:

Corvids: The Birds Who Think Like Humans Someday I will come up with a good reason why I am friends with the neighborhood crows. For now, I Read more

verb ( squirrels, squirreling , squirreled ) 1 [ with obj. ] (squirrel something away) hide money or something of value in a safe place: the money was squirreled away in foreign bank accounts.


In nature, one of the consequences of food caching is seed dispersal. If a hidden nut or seed is forgotten about by the animal that stashed it, it has a chance to germinate and grow. For squirrels in captivity (especially ones that attempt to hide their food in the fur of other animals), I'd imagine the seed-dispersing benefits of caching are more or less lost – though the secondary effect of cuteness overload is clearly augmented considerably.

See also: Watch this squirrel deliver the greatest "oh sh*t" face in the history of nature documentaries


Video by YouTube user Shannon Apple, ht Monica!