7 Curiosities Of Squirrels

Cute and small: this is how squirrels are often defined. These animals are very popular, but not all their curiosities are equally well known. Here we talk about some of them.

Among the best known rodents are squirrels, belonging to the Sciuridae  family  and characterized by their peculiar tail and speed. Although they are many in diversity and some movies show their curiosities, there are several facts that you might not know about them.

Squirrels are divided into more than 200 species of 3 types: arboreal, terrestrial and flying. These animals are present almost everywhere in the world in any vegetated ecosystem, with the exception of the continents of Australia and Antarctica. Next, you will find 7 curiosities about squirrels that you may not have known about.

1. Food thieves

One of the best known characteristics of squirrels is that they are very good at taking advantage of other people’s food. They spend a large part of their routine looking for food from other squirrels or birds, a behavior known as kleptoparasitism. Their favorite food is dry grains, such  as walnuts and hazelnuts, although they also eat seeds and fruits.

However, the belief that these rodents only eat this kind of food is wrong. Squirrels are omnivorous, so it shouldn’t surprise you if you ever see a specimen consuming the eggs of birds, snails, or insects. Another curiosity is that – like other rodents – squirrels cannot vomit or burp.

To search for food, these mammals have a powerful smell system, which makes it easier for them to find buried nuts. They also use their memory and sight to understand where on the ground they might be most likely to find food.

2. Various sizes

Although most of the squirrels you have seen are small, there are some species that are larger than you can imagine. The extreme small size is the case of the African pygmy squirrel ( Myosciurus pumilio ), which is between 7 and 13 centimeters long.

At the other point is the Indian giant squirrel ( Ratufa indica ), which can be almost 1 meter long, making it the largest squirrel on the planet.

3. Growing teeth

On the other hand, in terms of body parts, the 4 particular front teeth of squirrels grow almost 15 centimeters each year. This allows them not to wear out their incisors from the incessant nibbling with which they gnaw on nuts and other foods.

4. Articulated legs

Also, its hind legs give the squirrel a double joint, which facilitates movement between trees. Regardless of gravity, its ankles can rotate 180 degrees, so its hind legs lie back and cling to the bark of logs and trees. This mechanism is the one that helps it to run quickly up or down.

5. Multipurpose glue

The tail, for its part, allows these rodents to cover themselves from the rain and cold in winter, thus better conserving their body temperature. Like dogs, this limb helps them balance. A particular fact is that it has been shown that they also use their tail to alert other squirrels of danger, moving it in certain ways that communicate the alert.

6. Superior intelligence

Another of the curiosities of squirrels is that they learn quite quickly compared to other rodents. Several studies have shown that they can adjust their behavior to be more efficient in performing a certain task, such as foraging. Also, it was found in another investigation that squirrels can lie.

If a squirrel feels that it is being observed by others, it usually digs a false hole to mislead them and pretends to deposit the food in this place. However, before digging, the food is put in its mouth and subsequently buried in a different place.

7. They are born blind

The gestation period of squirrels is 29 to 65 days, in which the mother suckles and cares for the offspring in her burrow, which can be in hollow trees or in the ground – depending on the species. Like most mammals, with the passage of time the young open their eyes to achieve a sharp and focal peripheral vision.

Other curiosities of squirrels

Here are some curiosities about these friendly mammals that will not leave you indifferent:

1. When a small squirrel is abandoned or lost, a female adopts the young into their families.
2. Some squirrels can be tamed without much problem, although their rodent behavior will not stop. Be careful with your cables!
3. These rodents can be obese by choice during the winter, to gain weight and survive during this time.
4. Flying squirrels can glide up to 48 meters, thanks to a muscular membrane between the legs and the body. This structure is called patagio.

As you could see, there are many curiosities about squirrels that are not so well known. Its ecological value is very wide -thanks to the dispersal of seeds- although, paradoxically, like many other rodents they are carriers of diseases.

The best recommendation is to go to a veterinarian before adopting or buying a squirrel to learn about its care and breeding. Remember that these animals are very active and require an enormous amount of environmental enrichment, something difficult to achieve in an apartment without a patio.