Facts About Attractive Squirrels You Want to Know
The Squirrels
Over 275 types of Squirrels in this world! These are parted into 5 subfamilies, with about 50 genera and approximately 280 species which include the Tree Squirrel, Flying Squirrel, Ground Squirrel etc.
Squirrels lives in nearly every environment from tropical rainforest to semiarid desert, only keep away from the Polar Regions and the driest of deserts. Normally Squirrels are born in the early spring with the average bunch consisting of four.
Normally an adult Squirrel lives lonely but in the too much cold condition it could give okay to share its nets with other squirrels to preserve heat. Once the temperature rises then again, the visitors are normally shown the door!
Photo courtesy: Keven Law
Photo courtesy: Photobucket
About Squirrels
At the beginning Greeks used the word 'Skiouros' for Squirrel (Skia means shade and Oura means tail) linking the creature as one who sits in shadow of its tail. Centuries later, the French formed a noun 'esquirrel' to portray this creature from where the word 'Squirrel' was derived.
With a brain the size of walnut, Squirrels interconnect through a series of chirps, these in adding with tail signals, from the basis of a 'language'. Storing food for a rainy day is a characteristic Squirrel habit. Squirrels use their razor sharp sense of smell to track down buried nuts and can dig extensive holes in the process. Birds, especially crows, will observe a squirrel bury a nut and will dig it up as soon as the squirrel leaves. This tiny creature is clever about finding its food packs. A squirrel will break the shell of a nut by licking it before it is buried. This leaves a smell on the nut which helps this animal find it later in need. Really Ingenious!
Squirrels eyes are situated high, and on each side of their head. This lets them a wide field of vision, without twisting their head. A squirrel's eyes are always looking for predators and they rarely focus on what they are eating.
The sweat glands of a tree squirrel are located on its feet so when it is hot or excited it leave wet trace on dry surface. This is also how the little creature marks its territory. These Squirrels are the cleanest animals in the rodent family, male take twice as long as females to groom themselves and we thought the female of the sex was vain!
Feeding
The gray squirrels diet consists of nuts, seeds and fruit. It will eat bird eggs, bugs, and even an animal carcass if there is no other food source available. The gray squirrel requires some salt in its diet, and may find this salt in the soil along roads where snow and ice may have been.
Squirrels chew on tree branches to sharpen and clean their teeth. That's why you may see many small branches on the ground around large trees. They will also chew on power lines for the same reason; this has caused many major power outages throughout the country. The dry corn that is being sold as squirrel feed in department stores is NOT squirrel food and is perhaps adding to squirrel malnutrition.
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SQUIRREL WILL DIE WITHIN 24 HOURS WITHOUT FOOD AND WATER.
Squirrel As a Pet
Squirrels are rarely kept as house pets, provided they are preferred young enough and are hand raised in a proper manner. It can be taught to do tricks, and is said to be as smart as dogs in their capability to learn behaviours. Squirrels are extremely high maintenance and babies who have not yet opened their eyes must be nourished every two to three hours - even through the night.
Squirrels are the most active in late winter, when the mating season begins. The males will chase females, as well as, chase off other suitors. This ritual of chasing is occurs through the trees at a top speed. They perform some of the most breathtaking acrobatics imaginable.
If you find a baby squirrel, first make an effort to reunite him with his mother.
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Keep In Mind
It is better not to raise orphaned mammals alone. The littermates that are left to them will converge on each other, rather than on their human foster parent. Their existence in the wild depends on interaction with their own species, right socialization, and at least an indifferent view of humans.
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Flying Squirrel
More About Squirrels
The Tree Squirrel is a very exclusive animal. It is one of very few wild animals that have improved to humans and learned to live together with man. It can live on both natural foods and hand outs. The squirrel is an acrobatic admiration to young and old. Its bulky tail makes it the most recognized mammal on earth. It shocks us with bold high wire acts, as it races through the tree branches. Its strength of mind to find a way to get seeds from a so called "squirrel proof" bird feeder is an amusement to watch. Squirrels are repeatedly chased away from bird feeders. There is a great demand for squirrel-proof Bird Feeders. General public will go so far as to put hot sauce on seeds to keep squirrels away.
The gray squirrel has been known to build a nest in many unusual places, in an upper floor or a crawl space seems to be the most familiar. Squirrels have also built nests in automobiles, chimneys and under balconies.
When a squirrel detects danger, its first reflex is to stand motionless. If on the ground it will speed to the closest tree, or other climbable object to escape. If it is in a tree, it will encircle the trunk with its body pressed closely to the bark.
Life Style
Squirrels are generally born in the early spring. The average family contains of four. This fluctuates with climate and location. A second brood can occur in mid-summer, if there is enough food supply. The interval of gestation differs from 33 days in the littler species of pine squirrels, up to 60 days for the larger species such as the familiar gray and fox squirrels.
In the summer squirrels are very active two to three hours following sunrise, then they'll relax in the afternoon. Start again the activity two hours before sunset. The squirrel will withdraw to its nest well before dark, and will hardly leave the nest in the dark. In the winter, the squirrel will finished its activities between dawn and mid- day, and will stay in or around the nest until the next day.
For the time of winter storms, or grave cold, the squirrel may not leave the nest for days. Although, the tree squirrel does not sleep through winter!
Squirrel Bite
Squirrels teeth grow unceasingly. Their tooth's will grow six inches per year, but stay short due to the continuous wear they receive. The most normal type of squirrel bite is a result of feeding a squirrel by hand.
Never hold the food between your fingers; chances are very good you will be bitten.
