Squirrels are primarily solitary animals, but they exhibit social behaviors during mating and raising offspring.

Male squirrels compete for females during the mating season, engaging in courtship displays. While solitary in their daily lives, squirrels may tolerate the presence of others temporarily, especially when food is abundant. Female squirrels raise their young alone, constructing nests called dreys, and communicating through vocalizations, body postures, and tail movements. While social structures can vary among species and populations, squirrels demonstrate a mix of solitary and social behaviors in their interactions with other squirrels.

Squirrels exhibit different habitat preferences in urban, suburban, and agricultural settings, showcasing their adaptability to diverse environments.

In urban areas, squirrels thrive in parks and green spaces, utilizing trees for nesting and urban structures for shelter. Suburban landscapes provide a mix of residential neighborhoods and gardens, offering squirrels a combination of trees, bird feeders, and gardens as food sources and nesting sites. In agricultural settings, squirrels may utilize tree lines and corridors between crop fields, foraging on available crops like corn and sunflowers.

Squirrels employ various survival mechanisms to thrive in their environments. Their adaptability enables them to adjust behavior and habitat preferences, while their agile movements and acrobatics aid in escaping predators and accessing food sources. Squirrels are efficient food storers, caching and retrieving food when resources are scarce. They utilize camouflage to blend with their surroundings and construct secure nests for shelter.