An Animal That Becomes Smarter Come Autumn

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There are many things that come with Autumn like crisp morning air, falling leaves, pumpkin pie and, it seems, more intelligent rodents. Interesting fact about squirrels. Male squirrels actually get smarter in the fall. They stuff nuts in their cheeks before moving the food to more permanent storage areas. The hippocampus (that part of the brain involved in memory) actually increases in size during this gathering season. Female squirrels are this way all year round. This slightly bigger brain of the male at this time helps them to also remember where they stored their nuts.