Q. I have fed squirrels in my backyard for years and enjoyed their antics when they chase one another and jump from tree to tree. I try to figure out whether they are playing, mating or fighting.

Ground squirrels have proliferated in Minot, North Dakota's fourth-largest city. They've burrowed everywhere from vacant lots ...

When a squirrel is at the feeder, it often curls its tail up over its back. The tail drops back down when the squirrel hops away but will stay up the whole time it is eating. Why do squirrels do this?