Squirrels
Now you might be thinking, what could be so interesting about a squirrel?
I see them all of the time all over the place. All they do is bury nuts and steal birdseed, right?
What’s so special about them? Well, there is a lot more to these furry mammals than meets the eye.
For instance, did you know that there are over 200 different species of squirrels? Probably not!
Let’s take a look at some other interesting facts about these cute and cuddly tree dwellers.
Fun Facts About Squirrels
Squirrels are not so similar to rats, but like rats, they are rodents.
The more than 200 different species of squirrel live all over the world.
They belong to the Sciuridae family, and are native to every continent, with the exception of Antarctica and Australia.
Just like rats and mice, a squirrel’s front teeth will continue to grow throughout its life. This makes them great for chewing and gnawing.
Have you ever noticed that squirrels have large eyes?
These help them to see where they are going when climbing trees and escaping from other animals who might attack them (predators).
Most tree-dwelling squirrels prefer to live alone. They will, however, group together during especially cold weather.
Ground squirrels, such as prairie dogs, prefer to live together in large groups at all times. This helps to keep them safe from predators.
While squirrels are famous for their love of nuts, they are actually omnivores – meaning they eat plants and meat.
They have been known to eat many different kinds of meat, and will occasionally scavenge off of carcasses.
Gray squirrels are masters at finding their buried nuts. Thanks to their wonderful sense of smell, they usually recover around 80 percent of all the nuts they bury!
The 20 percent that they don’t get to eat will usually grow into oak trees.
Squirrels are born blind.
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