Squirrel
Etymology and Taxonomy
– The word ‘squirrel’ comes from the Anglo-Norman ‘esquirel’ and the Old French ‘escurel’.
– The Latin word ‘sciurus’ and the Ancient Greek word ‘skiouros’ also contributed to the etymology of squirrel.
– Squirrels have cognates in other Germanic languages.
– A group of squirrels is called a dray or a scurry.
– Squirrels are divided into five subfamilies, with approximately 58 genera and 285 species.
– The oldest squirrel fossil, Hesperopetes, dates back to the late Eocene period.
– Squirrels may have originated in North America.
Characteristics and Behavior
– Squirrels vary in size and have slender bodies, long bushy tails, and large eyes.
– Squirrel fur is soft and silky, with variable coat colors.
– Most squirrel species have longer hind limbs and four or five toes on each foot.
– Squirrels can descend a tree head-first by rotating their ankles.
– Squirrels mate once or twice a year and give birth to altricial offspring.
– Female squirrels usually take care of the young, which become sexually mature within a year.
– Ground-dwelling squirrels are social, while tree-dwelling squirrels are more solitary.
– Squirrels have diurnal, crepuscular, or nocturnal activity patterns.
– During hot periods, squirrels may lay their stomachs on cool surfaces (splooting).
– Squirrels engage in hoarding behavior to store food for future use.
– They make caching decisions based on handling time and perishability of the food.
– Squirrels have been observed using a mortise-tenon structure to fix nuts on twigs.
– Some squirrels exhibit carnivorous behavior, preying on snakes and rabbits.
– Urbanization has sublethal consequences on squirrels and other wild vertebrates.
Feeding and Adaptation
– Squirrels rely on foods rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fats.
– In temperate regions, squirrels face food scarcity during early spring.
– They eat a variety of plants, nuts, seeds, conifer cones, fruits, fungi, and green vegetation.
– Some squirrels consume meat, including small birds, snakes, rodents, bird eggs, and insects.
– Squirrels can adapt to urban environments and interact with humans (synurbanization).
Lifespan and Miscellaneous
– Squirrels have a lifespan of 5 to 10 years in the wild and can live up to 20 years in captivity.
– Squirrel tails serve various purposes, including protection from rain, wind, and cold.
– Squirrel teeth follow the typical rodent pattern, with large incisors and cheek teeth for grinding.
– Squirrel populations can be dense, and some orphaned squirrels are euthanized due to limited resources.
– Squirrel tails are prized in fly fishing for their guard hairs.
Human Interactions and Synanthropic Behavior
– Squirrels can become aggressive when their synanthropic behavior is disrupted.
– Ground squirrels, like the thirteen-lined ground squirrel, have been observed exhibiting aggression and predatory behavior.
– Squirrels have been kept as pets and have been trained in Chongqing, China, to detect illicit drugs.
– Squirrels have caused disruptions in electrical systems and infrastructure.
– Squirrels have been involved in attacks on humans and pets.
– The relationship between squirrels and humans dates back to medieval times when they were depicted as pets.
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