Squirrel
From Freepedia
- This article is about the animal. For the programming language, see Squirrel programming language.
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| Image:Squirrel2.jpg Eastern Gray Squirrel, Sciurus carolinensis | ||||||||||||||
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Many, see the article Sciuridae. |
Squirrel is the common name for rodents of the family Sciuridae (from Greek skia shadow and oura tail i.e. "tail that casts a shadow"). In everyday speech in the English-speaking world it usually refers to members of the genera Sciurus and Tamiasciurus. These typical members of the family are tree squirrels with large bushy tails, and are native to Europe, Asia and the Americas. Similar genera are found in Africa. However, the Sciuridae also include flying squirrels, and ground squirrels such as the chipmunks, prairie dogs, and woodchucks. The unrelated family Anomaluridae also have "squirrel" in their common name, though they are usually referred to as "scaly-tailed flying squirrels".
A male is a buck. A female is a doe. Babies are kits (male) or kittens (female), and collectively pups. Squirrels also nest; these nests are called dreys, which may also refer to a group of squirrels.
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Background
The "Black Squirrel" is actually a variant of the Eastern Gray Squirrel. Although considered rare in many areas, it is the dominant variety in most of Ontario, Quebec, and certain areas of the Northeastern United States. It is thought that the black variant developed its dark coat to better absorb heat in colder climates. In the United Kingdom, a colony of black squirrels has existed around the town of Letchworth Garden City for many years.
The Red Squirrel populations in Britain, Ireland, and, more recently, northern Italy, have declined and become regionally extinct in recent decades, primarily because of competition from Gray Squirrels (introduced from North America), but also habitat loss. Conservation efforts include preserving and planting the conifer forests that Red Squirrels prefer. The recent colonisation of mainland Europe from Italy by Gray Squirrels is expected to result ultimately in the extinction of the Red Squirrel over most of Europe.
Diet and Feeding Behaviour
One well-known trait of some species of squirrel is the gathering and storing of nuts for the winter. These squirrels are scatter-hoarders, i.e. they will gather nuts and store them in any accessible hiding place, usually by burying them. Recent research shows that they have excellent memories for the locations of these caches.
Despite the popular impression, squirrels are actually omnivores; as well as eating a wide variety of plant food, including nuts, seeds, fruits, fungi (for example, mushrooms), and green vegetation, they also eat insects, eggs, and even small birds, smaller mammals, and frogs.
Squirrels are generally clever and persistent animals; in residential neighborhoods they are notorious for eating out of bird feeders, digging in potted plants either to bury or recover food, and for setting up house in sheltered areas including attics. Many companies sell bird feeders which are supposedly "squirrel-proof"; most of them in fact are not.
Image:Lightmatter wild squirrel.jpg Squirrels are sometimes also pests because they chew on various edible and inedible objects; the habit helps keep the squirrel's teeth sharp and also wears the teeth down (rodents' teeth grow continuously). Homeowners in areas with a heavy squirrel population must keep attics and basements carefully sealed to prevent property damage caused by nesting squirrels. Fake owls and scarecrows are generally ignored by the animals, and the best way to prevent chewing on an object is to coat it with something to make it undesirable: for instance a soft cloth or chile pepper paste or powder. Squirrel trapping is also practiced to remove them from residential areas.
Squirrels can be trained to be hand-fed. Because they are able to cache surplus food, they will take as much food as you put out. If a person starts to feed one, that squirrel will come back day after day to get its food. Squirrels living in parks and campuses in cities have learned long ago that humans are typically a ready source of food. Feeding is not recommended, however, because squirrels may carry plague or other animal-borne diseases. Even if they do not carry disease, they often have a hard time telling fingertips from food, and bites are painful.
Popular-culture references
Despite periodic complaints about the animal as a pest, general public opinion towards the animal is favourable, thanks to its attractive appearance and graceful movement, and its habit of gathering and storing nuts. Squirrels are popular characters in cartoons and children's books, such as the works of Beatrix Potter. A less typical fictional squirrel is Secret Squirrel. Marvel Comics has a superheroine called Squirrel Girl.
Albino squirrels are thought by some to be a source of good luck. Olney, Illinois, is home of the world's largest known albino-squirrel colony. The Albino Squirrel Preservation Society was founded in 2001 at the University of Texas at Austin to celebrate the proliferation of white and albino squirrels on campus. There are eight college chapters of the ASPS across the United States, Canada, and England.
The word squirrelled, meaning to have hidden items away, is arguably the longest one-syllable word in the English language, although only in its American English pronunciation; in all British English accents it has two syllables.
Squirrels are often refered to as "tree rats" or "harveys" by people who dislike them and consider them pests. The word "Squirrel" is sometimes used to describe someone who is a 'goof' or 'clown' (i.e., he is a squirrel or is squirrelly).
Fun Fact
At Kent State University, in Ohio, the black squirrel is a pop-culture symbol and icon. It is the unoffical mascot of the school. The legend suggests that all the black squirrels originated in 1961 from 10 original squirrels that were transported to the campus from northern Canada. There has been an annual Black Squirrel Festival since 1981.
See also
External links
- Raising a Squirrel
- Full list of the Sciuridae
- Save the Red Squirrel
- Jon's World o' Squirrels
- Looking to rehabilitate a baby Squirrel? Go here
- Those Darn Squirrels -- Squirrel Photography
- Squirrel Fishing
- Albino Squirrel Preservation Society
