Squirrels are “one of the few groups of mammals able to see color,” according to North American Tree Squirrels, my bible of squirrel behavior, written by Michael A. Steele and John L. Koprowski.

Does that mean they appreciate the mix of colors in my flower garden?

It doesn’t seem to help them to distinguish between rocks and nuts on my Massachusetts patio. The squirrels practically have to butt their noses against the nut-sized rocks before the little rodents realize they’re not edible. That makes me think that squirrelly sniffers aren’t very good either.

Their widely spaced eyes do give them a “magnificent field of vision,” as Steele and Koprowski state. I’ve observed those eyes following me as as sit on my back porch stairs, swinging a nut from side to side.

Squirrel eyes are also adept functioners at dawn and dusk. My bible says that’s “particularly important for males trying to get an early start during the breeding season.” What’re they going to do? Pounce on a sleeping female? That doesn’t sound very nice.