‘DREYS’: Why more dreys in NE Ohio, what are they?

Paul Kiska
·2 min read
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*The above video of dreys was taken in Rocky River by Fox 8’s Paul Kiska

ROCKY RIVER, Ohio (WJW) — “I’ve been around here for 30 years and I’ve never seen that many,” said Richard Armstrong as he walked his dog in Rocky River. “Maybe 4 or 5 only, but never saw a dozen nests, are they for birds?” he added.

14 to be exact, they’re for squirrels, and wildlife experts say instead of nests they’re actually called dreys.

WHAT IS A DREY MADE FROM?

The furry little animals make their homes into a scraggly ball of interwoven leaves, twigs, moss, and bark. The scrappy architects build their dreys an impressive two to three stories high to escape predators.

HOME SWEET HOME

“It’s the squirrel’s bed,” said Tim Jasinski from Northeast Ohio’s pride and joy, the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center in Bay Village.

THE HEAT IS ON

Experts say body heat from squirrels snugged tightly in their nest can astonishingly warm the drey to between 60 and 85 degrees even on winter days. “Besides storing food, the drey is used by female squirrels to care for their babies while male squirrels prefer their own dreys,” Jasinki told Fox 8 News.

*The above photo was taken in Rocky River: Fox 8 News*

WHY ARE THERE MORE DREYS IN NORTHEAST OHIO?

Jasinksi said Eastern Gray Squirrels are “expanding their territory and coming into Northeast Ohio more often from other states and across the region.” He said there are five species of Eastern Grey Squirrels with each species having its own color including red and black. They also move into areas where the eating is good, in other words, where there’s a lot of nuts.

DICK GODDARD FOLKLORE

FOX 8 legendary meteorologist Dick Goddard was a weather scientist who also had a passion for animals and folklore.

Goddard said squirrels gathering nuts early is a sign they’re fortifying against what they sense will be a hard winter. While he didn’t mention dreys, perhaps he was onto something, it feels a bit more mysterious and even a tad romantic that squirrels have an intuitive sense of what’s coming.

You can read more about Dick Goddard’s top 20 list of winter folklore by clicking here.

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