Maria Allen
Squirrels are rodents. It is also called squirrel or squirrel cat. They form a genus with 29 different species and belong to rodents. They are closely related to chipmunks. They live on trees in the forest, but also in human settlements. They are very noticeable, especially because of their long bushy tail. The tail is almost as long as the body, together they grow up to 50 centimeters. Nevertheless, squirrels are rarely seen because they are very quick and shy and usually hide from people.
Adult squirrels weigh 200 to 400 grams. Because they are so light, squirrels can jump between branches very quickly and can also stand on thin branches. So they can easily flee from eagle owls and other birds of prey that like to eat squirrels. With their long, curved claws, the rodents can hold onto branches and twigs.
The red-brown European squirrels can be found almost all over Europe. They also inhabit a wide strip of land from Eastern Europe to Asia. The gray squirrel lives in the USA and Canada. People brought it to England and Italy and released it there.
In the parks, the gray squirrel crowds out the European squirrel because it is bigger and stronger. In England and large parts of Italy, the red-brown squirrels are almost extinct. In the forest, the pine marten preys on the gray squirrels. The red-brown squirrels survive there because they are more agile.
How do squirrels live?
Squirrels are rodents. It is also called squirrel or squirrel cat. They form a genus with 29 different species and belong to rodents. They are closely related to chipmunks. They live on trees in the forest, but also in human settlements. They are very noticeable, especially because of their long bushy tail. The tail is almost as long as the body, together they grow up to 50 centimeters. Nevertheless, squirrels are rarely seen because they are very quick and shy and usually hide from people.
Adult squirrels weigh 200 to 400 grams. Because they are so light, squirrels can jump between branches very quickly and can also stand on thin branches. So they can easily flee from eagle owls and other birds of prey that like to eat squirrels. With their long, curved claws, the rodents can hold onto branches and twigs.
The red-brown European squirrels can be found almost all over Europe. They also inhabit a wide strip of land from Eastern Europe to Asia. The gray squirrel lives in the USA and Canada. People brought it to England and Italy and released it there.
In the parks, the gray squirrel crowds out the European squirrel because it is bigger and stronger. In England and large parts of Italy, the red-brown squirrels are almost extinct. In the forest, the pine marten preys on the gray squirrels. The red-brown squirrels survive there because they are more agile.
How do squirrels live?
Squirrels are mostly solitary creatures who only come together to mate, i.e. to make young. They build nests in trees. These are round balls made of branches that lie in the forks of branches. Inside they are padded with moss. These nests are called Kobel. Each squirrel has several nests at the same time: for sleeping at night, for resting in the shade during the day, or for the young animals.
Squirrels will eat almost anything they can find: berries, nuts, seeds, buds, bark, flowers, mushrooms, and fruit. But worms, bird eggs or their young, insects, larvae, and snails are also on their menu. When eating, they hold their food in their front paws, which is very reminiscent of humans.
In the fall, squirrels stock up for the winter. They usually bury nuts, acorns, or beechnuts in the ground. But they can no longer find many seeds. These then germinate and form new plants. In this way, the squirrels help the plants to multiply not only nearby, but also further away.
Squirrels have many enemies: martens, wildcats, and various birds of prey. In parks and gardens, the house cat is your biggest enemy. But there are also many parasites that can make squirrels sick or even kill them.
Squirrels don’t hibernate, they hibernate. That means they don’t sleep all winter but leave the roost from time to time to get food. In some places, however, the squirrels have become so used to humans that they will eat nuts out of their hands.
How do squirrels reproduce?
The first time for reproduction is January, and the second is around April. The female usually carries about six young animals in her belly. After a good five weeks, the baby will be born. The male is then gone again and may have looked for a new female. It doesn’t care about the cubs.
The young animals are about six to nine centimeters long at birth. Squirrels are mammals. The mother gives the young her milk to drink. They have no fur yet and can neither see nor hear. They only open their eyes after about a month, and after about six weeks they leave the hut for the first time. After eight to ten weeks, they look for food on their own.
Next year they could already make their own young. It is said that they are then sexually mature. However, they often allow themselves a year more time. In the wild, squirrels usually don’t get older than three years.