Squirrels are more widespread than many of us think. These tiny animals can be found on almost every continent except for Australia. Squirrels such as the African Pygmy squirrel can be found in central Africa, and the flaring squirrel can be found in North America. Regardless of where in the world these animals live, they are loved by people all the same. If you’re an avid squirrel watcher you may have noticed that they have some bizarre behaviours like not blinking. So, do squirrels blink? This article looks into it. 

Squirrels do blink, just not that often. We as humans don’t usually see squirrels blinking. These small animals see us as potential threats, this causes them to stare at us intently and blink only occasionally. Squirrels still need to blink to keep their eyes moist and keep debris out, so yes, squirrels do blink 

Do squirrels blink?

All creatures, great and small have to blink. This activity is essential for eye health, blinking makes sure that the eyes are kept moist and oxygenated. Blinking also helps remove debris from the eyes. Squirrels do blink, they have to, but they don’t do this very often. 

The wild is a dangerous place for squirrels. These animals are very low on the food chain and because of this, there are a variety of animals that would be more than happy to turn this little animal into a meal. Because of this, squirrels have to be alert and keep their eyes open as much as they can, blinking only occasionally. 

We as humans don’t see squirrels blink as often because they stare at us intently as soon as they see us. They stare at us intently because they see us as a threat. Keeping their eyes on us and not blinking keeps them alert 

Do squirrels close their eyes?

Squirrels do close their eyes, they close their eyes when sleeping. Some say that squirrels sleep with their eyes open, but this is based on anecdotal evidence. Just as blinking keeps our eyes moist, prevents debris from getting in the eyes and protects the surface of the eye, closing your eyes during sleep does this too. The closing of the eye also blocks out light. If squirrels slept with their eyes open this would trigger them to wake up and be alert.

Conclusion

In conclusion, yes squirrels blink, all animals blink to keep their eyes moist, to protect their eyes from debris and to keep eyes oxygenated. The reason why we don’t see squirrels blinking too much is that they stare at us when they see us, they do this because they see us as a threat and want to be alert around us. Squirrels, just as any other animal, also close their eyes while they sleep, this has the added benefit of keeping light out thus allowing them to relax and really sleep well.

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other squirrel related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Do squirrels get attached to humans?, What does it mean when a squirrel stares at you?, Overly friendly squirrels, are they safe?, Do squirrels sleep with their eyes open?