Squirrel is a representative of the class of mammals. Included in the order of rodents. The common Latin name is Sciurus. In addition to this family, which includes the squirrel familiar to us, there are also many other representatives of squirrels that are included in other genera - palm squirrel, red squirrel, and so on.

Description of the squirrel

The body of the squirrel is elongated, ending in a fluffy tail, which is constantly covered with thick fur. In length, it sometimes exceeds the size of the body, but most often they coincide: both the tail and the body reach from 20 cm to 31 cm. The forelimbs of the animal are somewhat shorter than the hind limbs, which is very noticeable when the squirrel begins to feed. Both on the hind and on the front paws, the 4th toe is the longest. In size, this is a medium and small animal.

The ears of the squirrel are large, elongated, sometimes with a brush at the end. Fur depends on the season: in summer time it is short, sparse and rough to the touch, while in winter it is soft, thick and high. Squirrel molting is observed 2 times a year - on the body, on the tail - 1 time. The common color is dark brown, with a lighter belly. Sometimes gray, especially in winter. In addition, squirrels of orange, yellow, yellowish-dirty, white color in the abdominal part and red (of all shades), black-brown, gray-brown from the back can be found. Hue, as a rule, depends on the geographical background of color variability.

types of squirrels

Squirrels are called not only representatives of the squirrel family - in addition to the genus Sciurus to which they belong, several more are also known (for example, from the genus Tamiasciurus - red squirrels, Funambulus - palm squirrels, etc.). Regarding the genus Sciurus, it is worth noting that it has about 30 species of squirrels.

The most famous proteins are:

• gray;
• Japanese;
• Nayari;
• grey-yellow;
• caroline;
• golden-bellied;
• Arizona;
• Persian;
• brazilian;
• Allen protein;
• Abert's squirrel, etc.

There are also other proteins:

• black;
• Kagalym;
• Yucatan;
• motley;
• veksha squirrel;
• squirrel Druid;
• squirrel Sanborn;
• Richmond squirrel, etc.

Squirrel habits

One of the oldest and most traditional habits of the squirrel is the tendency to winter stocks.(usually a variety of nuts act in this role). However, the squirrel is distinguished by forgetfulness, since it makes a lot of such "bins" - both in hollows and on the ground. But they do not disappear, sprouting over time. Thus, the habits of squirrels contribute to the conservation of forest plantations.

Also, one of the habits is to stand up on its hind limbs in case of perceived danger - in a similar way, the squirrel better covers its surrounding territory with a glance. When an enemy is detected, the squirrel often makes shrill sounds, warning relatives.

Squirrels are very fond of sleeping at noon, hiding in a hollow - when Sun rays start to bake. They go for walks in the forest in the evenings or early in the morning. They are afraid of any bad weather - heavy rains, storms, but especially snowstorms. Although squirrels swim quite well, they do not go into the water, avoiding sputum.

Squirrels try to prepare thoroughly for the cold weather, making all kinds of food supplies. If autumn is cooler than always, then this is extremely detrimental to squirrels, since they have to eat what was set aside for the winter: in this situation, as a rule, there are no reserves left at that time, and the animals are starving.

But when there is plenty of food, squirrels collect them for a rainy day, equipping pantries in the roots of trees, in stumps, in depressions on the ground, in crevices of trunks, in abandoned nests, between stones and bushes, in hollows and even in holes dug by them. Squirrels usually hide seeds, grains, nuts and mushrooms, which can be planted on dried branches.

Where does the squirrel live

The squirrel is found wherever there are forests and groves. The most favorite places for squirrels are among the deaf and dry forests with tall trees. Equally, the squirrel does not tolerate sunlight and dampness. He likes to sit in hollows or right in empty tree trunks, equipping his nest. Sometimes a squirrel makes a home in the fork of two branches, not far from the main trunk. This is how it usually forms nests. open type, which in the lower part look like traditional bird houses, and from the top are tightly closed with a flat conical roof. It protects the squirrel from rain and snow.

The main exit looks to the east and is located, as usual, to the side. In the immediate vicinity of the trunk there is another exit - a spare, in case of an emergency retreat. outer part squirrel nests consist of interweaving of thick and thin branches (rods). Inside, all squirrel nests (both open and closed) are dry, lined with soft moss that forms a soft bedding. But Special attention squirrels give the base, making it on the basis of an abandoned crow dwelling, the bottom of which is well bonded with clay and earth.

What does a squirrel eat

The basis of the protein diet is a variety of plant foods: shoots and buds of trees, dried and freshly picked mushrooms, nuts, fruits, berries, pine and spruce seeds. Squirrels do not disdain acorns, cereals, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and bark. But most likely to eat seeds coniferous trees, which are hidden in cones - spruce and pine. Squirrels are also great hunters of bird eggs. Often they do not spare even the chicks.

As you can see, the food of these animals is very rich in fats, carbohydrates and proteins. This is due to the fact that, unlike deer or hares, which also consume vegetation, proteins cannot absorb fiber. The most difficult period for feeding is early spring, when the seeds buried in the ground begin to germinate, therefore they are not suitable for food, and it is still a long time to wait until the next harvest. Then the squirrels begin to feed on the kidneys (most often - silver maple). They can also eat frogs, insects, mammals, medium-sized birds, giving preference to chicks and clutches. In tropical regions, all this replaces traditional nuts for squirrels.

Squirrel habitats

Squirrels are found everywhere where trees grow, excluding the Australian continent. The squirrel genus combines over 30 species of squirrels, the distribution area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich covers Asian zones with temperate climate, North and South American continents, European countries (all), Trans-Urals and Transcaucasia. Squirrels are also found in Northern and Southern Siberia, from where they move to Altai and Indochina.

Reproduction of squirrels

Adult squirrels mate in March, young squirrels - a little later, closer to summer.. During this period, up to 10 or more males gather around one female, who fiercely fight for the right of primacy and procreation. A little over a month later, 3-7 cubs appear in the squirrel's nest. For childbirth, the squirrel usually chooses hollow trees, in which it forms a cozy and warm nest covered with moss.

At first, the baby squirrels feed only on mother's milk, but when they stop suckling, the mother or father gets and brings them food for several days, and then leaves to give another offspring again. In summer, the female, as a rule, brings a smaller number of baby squirrels, compared with the spring offspring. When the second brood grows up and starts running on its own, the parents unite it with the first, settling with the whole family (from 12 to 16 squirrels) in one part of the forest.

The squirrel is a very popular object for hunting because it has valuable fur, in demand in fur preparations. Squirrel hunting is especially common in the taiga regions. However, only winter fur is suitable: squirrels shot in the period from October/November to February/March give a skin of excellent quality - with surprisingly soft and smooth hair.

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Please tell me how to convey my thoughts to my father, who agrees with me in a conversation, and then does everything in his own way, being under the influence of his hysterical wife, who learns very well ...

AT wild nature there are a large number different types protein - Arizona, Persian, Japanese and many others. But on the territory of Eurasia, the common squirrel is mainly distributed.

The lifestyle of the common squirrel

This is a typical inhabitant of forests, a mobile and active animal that lives on trees. A squirrel can easily jump from tree to tree without much difficulty, in which its tail helps a lot, playing the role of a kind of glider and even a steering wheel. Squirrels feed mainly on tree seeds in coniferous and widely deciduous forests, mushrooms, berries, roots. AT warm time year of the squirrel a large number of spend time on the ground, moving in jumps of about one meter. Most of their time is spent looking for and getting food. When the slightest danger appears, the squirrel hides on a tree, hiding in its crown. The home for the squirrel is a hollow, in which it drags grass, lichens, dry leaves. If the squirrel lives in a coniferous forest, its home is a spherical nest of branches - a gaino lined with leaves and moss. The size of such a nest is small, up to 30 centimeters. Each squirrel is the owner of several nests, their number often reaches 15.

Features of squirrel wintering

First of all, in preparation for the winter period, squirrels change their color - from fiery red or black, their fur coat becomes grayish-red, sometimes with a hint of brown. The abdomen becomes white. Tassels on the ears, which squirrels are so famous for, grow in them in winter - thus, they are additionally warmed. Preparing winter supplies, the squirrel collects acorns, cones, nuts and hides them in his hayne or buries them in the roots of trees. She is even engaged in drying mushrooms, which she hangs on branches. Into the cold winter period The squirrel moves mainly along the tops of trees, rather rarely descending to the ground. She spends the winter in her nest, in bad weather and severe frost plugging the entrance into the hollow. Waiting out the bad weather, the squirrel takes cover with its fluffy tail and curls up into a ball. So she can spend quite long time, the benefit of food supplies is enough. Although squirrels are solitary animals, it happens that 5-6 of these animals can live in one hollow in winter. Squirrels are also very good at sensing weather changes. It happens that the weather is wonderful, the sky is clear and clear, and the squirrel sits out in the hayna. This means that a strong crackling frost is approaching. And vice versa, it happens that more snow is falling, and the squirrel is already frolicking with might and main. winter forest- so wait for warmer weather. In February, the squirrel begins the mating season. They become especially active at this time, often play, run, jump, spend a lot of time on fresh air. Males behave aggressively towards each other, arranging chases and battles. Pregnancy in females lasts approximately 35 days, culminating in the birth of three to ten baby squirrels. In city parks, squirrels overwinter in a similar way, but they can also settle in a birdhouse, and food is often taken directly from the hands of people who feed them willingly and with pleasure.

This nimble red-haired animal ( known to zoologists under the species name "ordinary squirrel") is so common in Russian open spaces that it got on the coats of arms of cities and villages. Two squirrels flaunt on the coat of arms of Zelenograd, one adorns the coat of arms of Yakutsk and a pair of squirrels is depicted on the coat of arms of the village of Yarensk (Arkhangelsk region), which until 1924 had the status of a city.

Description of the common squirrel

The rodent, which is part of the family, is called Sciurus vulgaris in Latin and has another half-forgotten name - veksha. Of all the representatives of the genus squirrels (and these are 30 species living in Europe, Asia, South and North America), only one single species, the common squirrel, lives on the territory of Russia.

Appearance

This cute fast animal is similar to other squirrels. Veksha has a proportional slender body, which ends in an extremely fluffy, somewhat flattened tail from 13 to 19 cm (about 2/3 of the body length). The tail looks flat due to long hairs (3-6 cm), splayed in both directions.

An ordinary squirrel grows up to 19–28 cm, gaining a mass of about 250–340 g in adulthood. The animal has a rounded head with dark beady eyes and long funny ears topped with tassels sticking up (in winter they become more noticeable).

Vibrissae, which have a special sensitivity, adorn not only the muzzle, but also the front paws and abdomen. The squirrel belly, by the way, is always lighter than the top or is colored in White color. The front legs are much shorter than the hind legs. The limbs are equipped with sharp, tenacious claws.

Important! The size of the common squirrel decreases from the mountainous regions to the plains, the size of the skull also becomes smaller from south to north, and the color of the fur brightens towards central point range.

By the winter cold, the common squirrel grows taller and more fluffy fur, but in the summer it changes its structure, turning into a short, hard and sparse one.

Coloring

In terms of color variability, Veksha is the undoubted leader among the numerous fauna of the vast Palearctic region: it changes the color of its coat depending on the season, subspecies, and even being within the boundaries of its population.

In summer, the squirrel outfit is designed in brown, red or dark brown tones; in winter, the coat becomes gray, sometimes almost black (occasionally with brown tint). There are also piebalds among Vekshas, ​​whose coat is diluted with white spots, as well as specimens with completely black fur (melanists) and, conversely, with a complete absence of pigment (albinos).

For Far Eastern, Carpathian and Manchurian subspecies common squirrel characteristic brown and black shades of winter wool. And teleut squirrels (the largest representatives of the veksha in the territory former USSR) show silver-gray and bluish coloration in winter, as well as a pale gray (with an admixture of black and yellowish-rusty) tail.

Teleut squirrels belong to the so-called grey-tail squirrels (which is determined by the winter color of the tail). Along with them, veks are divided into "browntail", "redtail" and "blacktail".

Moult

A change of coat in a common squirrel happens, like in most animals, twice a year.. The squirrel tail has its own cycle of fur renewal: it sheds only once a year. The spring molt occurs, as a rule, in April - May, and the autumn molt takes place from September to November.

As you know, the molting of all mammals is controlled by the length of daylight hours, which regulates the functioning of the pituitary gland. The latter produces thyrotropin, which (in turn) acts on the activity thyroid gland, which starts the molt.

It is interesting! Sexually mature males always begin to molt earlier than females and young vekshi-year-olds born in the current year. The spring change of fur goes from the head to the base of the tail, and the autumn one - from the root of the tail to the head.

The timing of molting is very variable, as it depends on the availability of food and climatic conditions. With an abundant forage base, the change of squirrel wool begins and ends earlier, in lean crops it is not only delayed, but also stretched.

Lifestyle, character

This mobile rodent does not differ in territoriality; therefore, the individual sections of the squirrel are usually not only not expressed, but often overlap one another.

Veksha leads the way tree image life, showing special cheerfulness in the morning and evening hours. It is at this time that she scours the forest in search of food, which takes 60-80% of her active time. Noticing the danger, he prefers to hide in the crown of a tree.

The squirrel easily flies from one tree to another, overcoming 3–4 m in a straight line and 10–15 m in a downward arc, using its tail as a rudder. In winter, in order not to freeze its paws, it jumps more on the tops. During the mating season, as well as in the absence of snow, it usually moves along the ground (by jumps up to 1 m).

In the most severe frosts and during the revelry of bad weather, she is able to sit incessantly in a shelter, falling into half-asleep. Only a persistent feeling of hunger can force a veksha to come out of hiding in winter.

Where does the squirrel live

Whatever the squirrel house, it will always be located on a tree. In a deciduous forest, the squirrel likes to settle in hollows, stuffing them with tree lichens, grass and dry leaves.

In a coniferous forest, she usually builds nests (25–30 cm in diameter), placing them at a height of 7–15 m among dense branches. Veksha gives the shape of a ball to such a nest, called a gain, lining it inside with leaves, hairs, moss and grass.

It is interesting! In order not to bother with building a nest, the squirrel occupies a birdhouse. Males do not bother building their own nest, but settle in housing left by females or in empty nests of magpies, thrushes and crows.

Information about large-scale migrations of squirrels can be found in old Russian chronicles.

Migrations occur at the end of summer - the beginning of autumn, and the motivating factor is often Forest fires and drought, but more often a meager harvest of staple squirrel food, nuts or conifer seeds.

Long-distance and long migrations of 250–300 km are rare: as a rule, squirrels move over more modest distances to the neighboring forest area.

When migrating, the rodents jump singly, but form a wide front (approximately 100–300 km), without straying into flocks and large groups. Mass character is noted only in front of natural obstacles.

During migrations, the squirrel crosses many natural areas and barriers, including:

• steppe;
• tundra and forest tundra;
• islands;
• sea ​​bays and rivers;
• Mountain peaks;
• settlements.

Migration is always accompanied by the death of squirrels that drown, freeze, die of exhaustion and fall into the teeth of predators.

Along with mass migrations, seasonal ones are observed, which are associated with the transition of young animals to an independent life, as well as with the gradual maturation of feed. Seasonal migrations with lack of fodder are transformed into migrations.

The dispersal of young veksha occurs in August/September and October/November, when they move 70–350 km from their native nests.

True, some of the mature squirrels remain in place. They only change the composition of the diet, switching to low-calorie vegetation with a high concentration of fiber:

• lichens;
• kidneys;
• bark of young shoots;
• needles.

It is this group of rodents that becomes the basis for the restoration of the local squirrel population.

Lifespan

In nature, the common squirrel is measured very short term life: an individual older than 4 years is considered old. Such "long-livers" in the population make up no more than 10%. But in captivity (without enemies and with good food) veksha lives up to 10–12 years.

Range, habitats

The common squirrel (represented by 40 subspecies) has chosen the boreal zone of the Eurasian continent from the shores of the Atlantic to Kamchatka, Sakhalin and about. Hokkaido.

The animal filled Siberia, Far East and European part Russia. The first squirrels entered Kamchatka around 1923–24. Veksha even adapted to life in the Tien Shan, and in the Caucasus and Crimea, she settled into cultural landscapes (vineyards and orchards).

The squirrel, as a typical forest inhabitant, prefers mixed coniferous-deciduous forests with an abundant forage base (tree seeds).

In addition, the animal willingly settles in plantations such as:

• cedar forests;
• thickets of cedar elfin;
• spruce forests;
• larch forests;
• fir forests;
• mixed pine forests.

It is noticed that the density of the squirrel population decreases to those northern regions, where pine and larch woodlands predominate.

Nutrition of an ordinary squirrel

Veksha's gastronomic interests are extensive (over 130 items), but the main food is coniferous seeds, including ordinary pine, spruce, Siberian cedar, larch and fir. In the southern regions, where there are many oak forests (with thickets of hazel), it willingly gnaws on hazelnuts and acorns.

With a crop failure of the main feed, the protein passes to the buds and shoots of trees, rhizomes and tubers, lichens, berries, herbaceous plants and mushrooms (preferring deer truffle).

With a lack of food, the protein turns into a pest, eating the flower buds of fir trees. During love games often switches to animal food- insects with larvae, chicks, eggs and small vertebrates.

The squirrel is prudent and stocks up for the winter with nuts, acorns and cones, stuffing hollows with them or burying them between the roots. In addition, she dries the mushrooms by hanging them among the branches. Veksha short memory: she forgets about her storehouses and stumbles upon them by accident.

It is interesting! Others use squirrel "sclerosis" forest dwellers(bears, rodents and birds), eating up her "canned food". However, the veksha pays them in kind, finding supplies made by mice, chipmunks and nutcrackers under a 1.5 m layer of snow.

Coming out of wintering, the squirrel does not shun the bones of dead animals and visits salt licks. The daily food intake varies depending on the season: in spring, during the breeding season, the squirrel eats up to 80 g, in winter - no more than 35 g.

Squirrels are a fairly common type of animal that inhabits our planet. The genus of this representative wildlife has about 30 species, each of which lives in different parts Sveta. Squirrels are found in Europe, in Asia in the temperate zone, Northern and South America. Squirrels do not live only in Australia.

All representatives of the squirrel family have similar distinctive features: long fluffy tail, long ears, coat color from gray to dark brown with a prominent white belly. But in the wild, there are exceptions - completely white squirrels. Is not separate view, but an ordinary gray squirrel with a congenital absence of melanin pigment (albinism). In the USA, in the state of Illinois, in the small town of Olney, albino squirrels are protected by law, so in these places you can find entire colonies of squirrels with white fur.

Squirrel habitats

Each squirrel species inhabits different flora and fauna. different countries and continents.

For example, Aberta squirrel lives in coniferous forests the states of Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico and parts of Mexico.

havana squirrel distributed only in South America: Brazil, Venezuela, French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, and also in the northeast of Argentina. Lives in forests and parks.

Allen squirrel lives in oak or mixed oak-pine forests in northern Mexico.

Persian, or Caucasian squirrel, found in the forest regions of the Caucasus and the Middle East, as well as on the Aegean islands of Lesvos and Gokceada. Lives in such countries: Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Abkhazia, Armenia, Iran, Iraq.

Arizona squirrel lives in the USA in the broadleaf and coniferous forests of Arizona in western New Mexico, where it settles in deep canyons in which oaks or black walnuts grow. Also common in northern Mexico, Sonora.

area golden-bellied squirrel located in southern and eastern Mexico, as well as in Guatemala and the Florida Keys.

pygmy squirrel lives in North America from the west of the Mississippi River to northern Canada. Also, this species has recently spread widely in England, Ireland, Scotland and Italy.

Squirrel Collier found in tropical and subtropical forests Mexico and the Pacific coast.

Squirrel Depp - native to Brazil, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Mexico.

Fire Squirrel lives in only one country in South America, Venezuela.

yellow-throated squirrel lives in Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil.

red-tailed squirrel lives in Central and South America on the islands of Margarita, Trinidad, Tobago and Barro Colorado. This type of squirrel prefers to settle near water bodies and in seasonal or tropical forests. They often live next door to humans in parks, near settlements and arable lands.

Habitat western gray squirrel oak-coniferous woodlands or mixed forests of Mexico and the USA.

Japanese squirrel lives only on the islands of Honshu and Shikoku in low-mountain forests.

Nayarit squirrel found in Mexico and Southeast Arizona, USA.

Black or fox squirrel inhabits almost all North America from southern Canada to northern Mexico.

motley squirrel lives in Central America and Mexico. The animal lives in the wet and dry forests of this area.

Yucatan squirrel inhabits the Yucatan Peninsula, also found in the tropical forests of Guatemala, Mexico and Brazil.

common squirrel, fauna representative of Eastern Europe, inhabits almost all of Eurasia from the coast Atlantic Ocean to the Japanese Hokkaido.

Squirrel home in the wild

AT natural environment habitat almost all types of squirrels settle on trees. Most often, a hollow or nest serves as a home for a squirrel.

Nests are often built by squirrels living in coniferous forests. The squirrel builds its shelter from dry branches in the shape of a ball. Then inside it is lined with dry grass, leaves, moss and wool. The hollow of the squirrel inside equips in the same way as the nest. Also, animals can settle in birdhouses or on the roofs of houses.

Nest building is most often done by females, and males settle in hollows or abandoned nests of females, or magpies, crows, blackbirds. Each squirrel has about 15 such dwellings.

In winter, the squirrel leaves its home only for the time of feeding, and the rest of the time it sleeps in its cozy shelter. Sometimes in winter, from 3 to 6 squirrels can live in one nest or hollow at the same time. at this time of the year with their stocks or stocks of other small rodents.

Lifestyle of the common squirrel - Photos of the common squirrel

common squirrel - this is one of the most rodents, which many treat with sympathy. At first she was a resident coniferous forests. Now it can be found in city gardens and parks.
DIMENSIONS
Length: 20-32 cm.
Tail length: 19-31 cm.
Weight 200-1000 g, depending on the time of year (squirrel weighs less in summer).

BREEDING
Puberty: from 11 months.
Mating season: December-July.
Pregnancy: 38-44 days.
Number of cubs: 1-6.
Number of litters: 1-2.

LIFESTYLE
Habits: live in trees. Stay single.
Food: Cones, bark, plant sap, nuts, eggs, mushrooms and insects.
Sounds: sharp "bale-bale-bale".
Life span: usually 2-3 years.

Related SPECIES
Squirrel gray and many other species.

Nowadays common squirrel still common in many forests of Europe and Asia. However, in the UK, squirrels are becoming less and less common. The size of this squirrel population depends on the availability of feed. The main reason for this phenomenon is food competition from the gray squirrel.
LIFESTYLE. With the help of strong hind legs with sharp claws, an ordinary squirrel climbs trees perfectly. She prefers pine forests with rich undergrowth, but has also adapted to life in mixed and deciduous forests. Previously, squirrels were found in rural areas, but now they can be increasingly seen in urban gardens and parks. Squirrels living in city parks and gardens eat food brought to them by humans, but their woodland relatives tend to avoid humans.
With the exception of mating season, squirrels lead a solitary lifestyle. In cold winters, sometimes several animals live in one nest; they probably warm each other with their bodies. The nest of squirrels is built from branches and has a spherical shape. Inside it is lined with soft plant material. Squirrels that do not have their own nest live in abandoned tree cavities. In addition to the abandoned woodpecker's hollow, they can temporarily settle in the empty nests of magpies or crows. The common squirrel molts twice a year. However, the tail sheds only once during this period. In summer it has a short and delicate reddish-brown coat, which is gradually replaced by a thick and dark winter coat from August to November. The coloration of these squirrels varies greatly not only depending on the species, but also within the same species, it varies depending on the area, season, age, etc.
REPRODUCTION. The squirrel brings young when there is enough food in nature. A female can have up to two litters per year. In each litter, on average, there are from 2 to 4 baby squirrels. Mating squirrels can last from December to July (depending on the region). During the rutting season, several males chase the female. The female chooses the male she likes the most and only mates with him. During pregnancy, high in a tree, she makes a ball-shaped nest of branches with two entrances located on the side. Inside the nest is lined with soft plants and down. In the first days after giving birth, the female is located near the nest and regularly feeds baby squirrels.
After three weeks, the cubs open their eyes and begin to grow hair. At the age of seven weeks, they begin to leave the nest and take solid food. However, the mother feeds them with milk for about three more weeks.
FOOD . Squirrels lead an active daytime lifestyle. They spend their days looking for food, some of which they immediately eat, and the rest they hide in hiding places, thus stocking up for the winter. When the amount of food decreases, squirrels go out in search of food from the very morning. The diet of normal and gray squirrels is very similar. In England, the number of common squirrels has declined, since the gray squirrels living here are their direct food competitors. Throughout the year, squirrels feed on tree seeds - pine and cedar cones. Most they hide food in dense bushes or in an abandoned shelter nest, so that they can return here later and eat. Many have seen squirrels gnawing on bumps. At the same time, the animal holds the cone with its front paws and turns it around, gnawing at the scales, under which the seeds are hidden. The menu of squirrels depends on the region in which they live, and, in addition to seeds, usually consists of flowers, young shoots, insects, nuts, rose hips and mushrooms. Squirrels rarely eat acorns. Sometimes in spring they destroy the nests of small birds by eating their eggs. Foresters do not like them because, in order to get to the juicy bast, they cut off the bark from the trees.
Did you know? That most species of squirrels of this genus do not have tassels on their ears. They only grow in common and North American squirrels.
Representatives of the genus of baby squirrels are very small animals. Their length reaches a little 7-10 cm.
Another relative of the common squirrel lives in Finland and northern Russia - the flying squirrel. It can travel short distances between trees by gliding with its open, furry flight membrane.
People have always considered the squirrel to be a friendly animal. Her image is found on the mosaics of the Romanesque and some Asian cultures.

Tail: used to maintain balance while moving through branches. In addition, the squirrel takes cover during sleep. The movements of the tail indicate the mood of the animal.
Vibrissae: long and very sensitive, helping to orientate. The squirrel also has sensitive hairs on the front legs, belly, and at the base of the tail.
Vision: very sensitive, help to navigate. The squirrel also has sensitive hairs on the front legs, belly, and at the base of the tail.
Winter coat: The winter coat is thicker and darker than the summer coat. Has an ashy hue. The tufts on the ears are getting longer.
LIVING PLACE. On the territory of Eurasia mediterranean sea in the south to Scandinavia in the north, in the east to China and Korea.
Preservation. Despite the fact that squirrel populations depend on the availability of food sources, for the most part European forests she is numerous. In the UK, the number conventional protein decreased significantly.

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