Surviving Rodent: Squirrels – Erakina

Animals that are found in the wild are grown as pet animals today. Animals like guinea pigs, lion cubs, lizards, birds, etc. They adapt themselves as good pet and show us, love. In that order, today we are going to see about Squirrels and the facts about them. Squirrels The Squirrel (Sciuridae) is a small adorable creature that is separated into three parts. And they are trees, ground, and flying squirrel, and each category has a different genre.

 There are more than 260 species of squirrels living in the world, and many of them are rare to see. Squirrels have an average life span of 6 years and can live up to 20 years in the wild or in captivity. Research proves that 25 percent of squirrels worldwide die within 1 to 2 years of their life. It’s because of predators, road accidents, and diseases.

Squirrels that live past this time will have survival instincts and can live upto its time. Females Squirrels undergo the pregnancy period of 40 to 44 days and produce an average of 2 to 9 babies at a time. The toddlers will be hairless and blind for around 20- 35 days. Until that period, the mother, Squirrel, will care for and nourish the little ones. After two months, the baby likes to go out of their home alone.

A regular Squirrel grows upto 2 to 5 inches, and the Indian giant Squirrel is the only species that grow around 36 inches. Gray Squirrels are often found in U.S states. A Squirrel will spend the day eating and sleeping the rest of the day. They have sharp claws and two sets of teeth that never stop growing. By using their sharp claws and feet, they often travel from one place to another.

They mostly travel in electric lines and jump from one tree or a building to another. Before the frost season, Squirrel find food sources and save them for the winter season. It’s because they can’t be able to withstand the cold, and finding food in the winter season is pretty hard for them. So they get to prepare for the long winter in their tree nests. They do have backup nests to fool their predators and in emergencies.

Facts about Squirrels

The Squirrels are small and cute. But there are some facts we didn’t know about the characteristic of their life. Let’s see some of the facts about Squirrels in the following:
● A Squirrel has four front teeth that are used for eating and breaking the shells of their food.
● Squirrels live alone, but sometimes they prefer to live in groups during the winter seasons.
● The word Squirrel means “Shadow tail” in Greek.
● In the 1850s, Squirrels were very rare to see, and they were hunted more during that time. But after creating more habitation for them, their count gotten increased.
● Squirrels are invasive, and they’ll fight for their lands and threaten other species of Squirrel.
● They play a significant role in the food chain and become the food source for many species like hawks, snakes, owls, etc.
● Squirrels are hunted for their meat and were used as an ingredient in Kentucky recipes.
● Squirrel eat nuts, seeds, and fruit. But gray Squirrel eat insects, snails, and animal carcasses when they don’t find nuts.
● Many people think that Squirrel hibernate during the winter season. Well, it’s not true. They don’t go into hibernation. They save the food for the whole winter and reduce their physical work until the season ends.
● Some Squirrel lick the old skin of rattlesnakes and create a fake scent to stay safe from predators.
● Flying Squirrels don’t fly. They glide in the air. Using their skin, they drift from high to low places and use their legs and tail for braking and changing direction.
● Squirrel make communication through their chirping and tail movements. And they watch and learn from others.
● People can love Squirrel, but there is no need to feed them. It’s because they may think that we are a food source, affecting their food search routine. These are some of the facts that best describe the character of a Squirrel. So let’s protect and save these cute little rodents from extinction.

Internal links:

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