With their scurrying, gathering, and general busyness, squirrels are some of the top entertainers in the animal kingdom. They are social creatures that chase and tease one another in actual play. Some squirrel species, like the Grey Squirrel, have a forgetful nature and consequently replenish forests with their forgotten nut (seed) caches.
On the flip side, as far as human interest is concerned, squirrels can be detrimental. They can do considerable damage to crops, pastureland, and tree roots. Whatever an individual's feelings are about them, squirrels are an important link in the food chain. They make up part of the diet for bobcats, foxes, weasels, coyotes, snakes and birds of prey.
Stats:
- Order: Rodentia
- Family: Sciuridae
- Diet: They are Omnivores – Squirrels are opportunistic eaters, that is, they are not strictly herbivore or carnivores.
- Height: Ranges from 5” - 36”
- Weight: Ranges from 0.5 oz. – 4 lbs.
- Offspring: They give birth to 2-8 babies which are born blind and naked. They stay with mom until 2-3 months old.
- Lifespan: The average is about 6 years, however, if the animal lives near traffic, it's closer to 1 year.
- Group name: Because squirrels live a solitary life, and don't live in groups, no formal group name has been given. However, some people loosely call a group of squirrels a dray or scurry.
With over two-hundred species world-wide, the statistics on squirrels clearly depends upon their individual type. They are diurnal (active in the day), the only exception being the Flying Squirrel, which is nocturnal (active only at night). Ground Squirrels, unlike bears, who actually just sleep for months at a time, go into 'true' hibernation. Their heart rate slows down to a mere one-tenth of the normal rate and they only take a breath every couple of minutes. They do wake up every 4 or 5 days to get a bite from the cache and use the bathroom. Squirrels range in size from the tiny African Pygmy of West Africa (5’) to the bulky Indian Giant of South Asia (3 Feet).
Squirrel Cuisine:
- Nuts
- Leaves
- Seeds
- Plants
- Caterpillars
- Other insects
- Eggs
- Flowers
- Roots
- Berries
- Fruit
- Baby birds
Three Types of Squirrels:
- Tree Squirrels – They are probably the ones most familiar to everybody. They are unrivaled in climbing and jumping. They are found in cities and woods all over the world.
- Ground Squirrels- These speedy guys live in tunnel systems underground. During hibernation, they even have a special 'bathroom' chamber they use every few days.
- Flying Squirrels – Hands down the most fascinating of the three types. While they don’t truly ’fly’, they can glide 150 feet from tree to tree. Most go completely unnoticed by humans. They have a loose fold of skin connected from the back legs to the front arms that they extend to ‘fly’. Flying Squirrels live in tree holes or nests like birds. Although they do eat the same foods as other squirrels, their main food is the lichen on the trees. Flying Squirrels are a critically endangered species due to deforestation for land development, and agriculture. This species, in particular, only has one to two young which furthers the problem.
It may not come as a surprise that squirrels are on the top ten list of the smartest animals. Intelligence may be subjective, but squirrels are masters at the art of deceit and learn quickly. While squirrels can be a problem for people, if we can strike a balance, and learn to live with them, perhaps we can find the time to enjoy their clownish antics and darling faces.
Related Reading
Want to read more about squirrels? Check out Outsmarting Squirrels.
Chris McLaughlin - Chris McLaughlin's gardening books include "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Heirloom Vegetables." Check out her complete profile.
