Nobody who has ever watched squirrels before is going to deny that they do some really crazy things from time to time. When squirrels typically appear in cartoons and pop culture, they tend to have this trait of not being quite right in the head. The phrase “nutty as a 
squirrel” doesn’t just refer to the critters’ dietary habits.
But every once in a rare while, I’ll catch a squirrel who really seems to be “having a moment.” It can be both entertaining to watch, and yet also a bit worrisome to experience… as you truly wonder if something is wrong with it. Did it fall out of a tree and land on its head, or maybe it’s eaten one too many lead tainted acorns (Which honestly, given the amount of lead that’s buried in this city, would not be too surprising).
This brings us to the #29 entry in my Top 50 Saturday Squirrels of All Time countdown… an odd little fellow who was doing all kinds of bizarre antics in my backyard back in late July 2013. You see him kind of half on and half off that utility pole while upside down in the first picture. I mean, what the hell?
I’m fine…. really!
I just feel like rolling around…
This next picture looks a little disturbing, but trust me when I say he did get back up again…
I’s a ded squrl!
Yeesh, what a spaz! That’s not even his best trick, though…. he’s the only squirrel I ever caught before doing a freaking backflip!
Quite….. um, talented.
Or that could be a gorilla/Sasquatch roaming through the woods, depending on your point of view.
I have no idea whether this squirrel’s strange behavior was voluntary or the result of something more sinister, but no other squirrel I’ve seen before has ever behaved like a complete lunatic in front of my camera before. Still, there’s 28 squirrels I rated higher than this one in my countdown, and you’ll see another crowd pleasing sciurine next Tuesday!
Evil Squirrel's Nest 
weagree… maybe all the legends and stories were about a squirrel?
Squirrels are a legend in our own time…
Assuming there’s nothing wrong with the poor little guy, he looks like a delightful klutz.
Definitely the most weird squirrel I’ve ever seen, which is saying a lot!
Really cute, and glad you got photos of this squirrel having a fun day. He probably did have a ‘nip’ of something good. haha 🙂
You never know what might be growing in my jungle of a backyard!
heh heh 🙂
Sometimes I wonder if they’ve eaten a fermented berry. They do like to play, though. I’ve seen them somersault. I have some old videos somewhere of two playing together and another of one juggling a stick and tossing it around. They’re so entertaining.
I never thought of that possibility before for the extremely bizarre behavior. Definitely drunk or high or just not OK in the head…
If it is true that you are what you eat, what do expect from a nut eater?
Polly wanna cracker?
I think we should enter him in gymnastics at the next Olympics. I wonder if he was just having a case of ‘gapping’ – what we call it when our cat just does a series of strange things, running around, jumping on things, flipping over.
Perhaps we should enter him in gymnastics in the next Olympics?
Perhaps we should enter him in the next Olympics in Gymnastics?
I’m sure squirrels were banned a long time ago to even the playing field. Besides, the Russian judge would still only give a squirrel a 7 for their routine…
Absolutely! Can’t trust those judges.
I’ll confess…there were a few out loud chortles uttered watching those klutzy moves.
The backflip, weird stance on the pole, and the playing dead pic are some of my funniest squirrel pics!
Maybe he’s in training for Cirque du Squirrel…
He’s going to need a better costume then…
The guy has a certain flair that’s for sure……he’s got squirrelitude!
Pam
He’s got something alright…. maybe ants in his tail.