Squirrels belong to family Sciuridae of small or medium-size rodents. The family includes tree squirrels ground squirrels chipmunks marmots (including woodchucks) flying squirrels and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas Eurasia and Africa and have been introduced to Australia The earliest known squirrels date from the Eocene and are most closely related to the mountain beaver and to the dormouse among living rodent families The word "squirrel" first specified in 1327 comes from Anglo-Norman esquirel from the Old French escurel the reflex of a Latin word sciurus. This Latin word was borrowed from the Ancient Greek word which means shadow-tailed referring to the bushy appendage possessed by many of its members. The native Old English word cweorna survived only into Middle English (as aquerne) before being replaced. The Old English word is of Common Germanic origin with cognates such as German Eichhorn Norwegian ikorn ekorn Dutch eekhoorn Swedish ekorre and Danish egern. Squirrels are generally small animals ranging in size from the African pygmy squirrel at 7--10 cm (2.8--3.9 in) in length and just 10 g in weight to the Alpine marmot which is 53--73 cm long and weighs from 5 to 8 kg Squirrels typically have slender bodies with bushy tails and large eyes. In general their fur is soft and silky although much thicker in some species than others. The color of squirrels is highly variable between and often even within species. In general the hind limbs are longer than the fore limbs and they have four or five toes on each paw. Their paws rabid rabies include an often poorly developed thumb and have soft pads on the undersides. The eastern gray squirrel clarification needed is one of very few mammalian species that can descend a tree head-first. It does this by turning its feet so the claws of its hind paws are backward-pointing and can grip the tree bark. bred breed breeds breeding mates mating pregnant pregnancy litter baby babies hamster hamsters gerbil gerbils squirell squirells raccoon raccoons rat rats mice mouse rodent rodents pet pets shop shops diet diets wheel wheels spin spins spinning feed feeding feeds nibble nibbles eat eats eating nibbling teeth fan fangs tooth omnivore omnivores pest pests possum possums opossum opossums vegetable vegetables cute cutest adorable funny fun funniest home video videos animal animals chipmunk chipmunks fail fails Squirrels squirrell squirrells squirell squirells live in almost every habitat from tropical rainforest to semiarid desert avoiding only the high polar regions and the driest of deserts. They are predominantly herbivorous subsisting on seeds and nuts but many will eat insects and even small vertebrates. As their large eyes indicate in general squirrels have an excellent sense of vision which is especially important for tree-dwelling species. They also have very versatile and sturdy claws for grasping and climbing. Many also have a good sense of touch with vibrissae on their heads and limbs. Skull of an Oriental giant squirrel - note the classic sciuromorphous shape of the anterior zygomatic region. The teeth of sciurids follow the typical rodent pattern with large gnawing incisors that grow throughout life and grinding cheek teeth set back behind a wide gap or diastema. The typical dental formula for sciurids is The lifespan of the gray squirrel is approximately six years. Most urban squirrels do not reach their first birthday. This is due not to predators but rather to automobiles. Compare this to its rural counterpart which often perishes from lack of food. Behavior Several species of squirrels have melanistic phases. In large parts of United States and Canada the most common variety seen in urban areas is the melanistic form of the eastern gray squirrel. Squirrels breed once or twice a year and give birth to a varying number of young after three to six weeks depending on species. The young are born naked toothless and blind. In most species of squirrel only the female looks after the young which are weaned at around six to ten weeks of age and become sexually mature at the end of their first year. In general ground-dwelling species are social animals often living in well-developed colonies but the tree-dwelling species are more solitary. Ground and tree squirrels are typically diurnal or crepuscular while flying squirrels tend to be nocturnal except for lactating flying squirrels and their offspring which have a period of diurnality during the summer. Feeding Squirrel eating a fruit in Manyara National Park Tanzania Squirrel eating a peanut. The Indian palm squirrel is the most common type of squirrel found in India. Squirrels cannot digest cellulose so they must rely on foods rich in protein carbohydrates and fats

• published: 23 Feb 2014
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