PORTAL FOR PETS AND THEIR OWNERS

Squirrels

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.

Characteristics

Squirrels are generally small animals, ranging in size from 7–10 cm in length and just 10 g in weight, to 53–73 cm (Alpine marmot) and from 5 to 8 kg in weight. Squirrels typically have slender bodies with bushy tails and large eyes, soft and silky fur.

Squirrels live in almost every habitat from tropical rainforest to semiarid desert, avoiding only the high polar regions and the driest of deserts. They are one of the most common home invaders. They commonly invade basements and attics for shelter where they can cause damage to the insulation or wood and they also target unattended pet food and open garbage cans. Squirrels tend to find their way within walls and above ceilings and they can often be heard from these places running and scratching during the day. It is important to call a professional to remove squirrels living in your home.

Feeding

Squirrels cannot digest cellulose, so they must rely on foods rich in protein, carbohydrates, and fats. In temperate regions, early spring is the hardest time of year for squirrels, because buried nuts begin to sprout and are no longer available for the squirrel to eat, and new food sources have not become available yet. During these times, squirrels rely heavily on the buds of trees. Squirrels' diets consist primarily of a wide variety of plants, including nuts, seeds, conifer cones, fruits, fungi, and green vegetation.