Squirrel Facts

Many urban dwellers have come to see squirrels as a common pest after spending countless sleepless nights being kept away by the little creatures scurrying in their attics and foraging in garbage cans, bird feeders and pet bowls. However, squirrels are creatures that have inhabited the Earth for more than 37 millions years and comprise one of the largest and most diverse families of mammals still in existence.

  1. Biological Information

    • Squirrels are part of the family Scuiridae, which includes 278 different species and 51 genera. The Scuiridae family consists of small to medium-sized rodents including flying, tree and ground squirrels, chipmunks, prairie dogs, and marmots.

    Geographic Distribution

    • Squirrel species are native to all continents except for Australia, Madagascar, New Zealand and Antarctica. Tree squirrel species are largely located in the Americas, with a few also found in parts of Japan and the Middle East. The Indomalaya region comprised of India and Southeast Asia are where most flying squirrel species call home, but some are native to Japan, China and Russia. Indomalaya is also where most giant squirrels are found. Ground squirrels inhabit most continents while pygmy species exist only in parts of South America.

    Physical Characteristics

    • As with other rodents, squirrels have four front teeth that never stop growing, kept in check only by constant gnawing. Their body shape generally is slender and covered with a soft, silky coat. Most squirrels have bushy tails, pointy ears, large eyes and longer hind limbs than fore limbs with four to five digits on each foot. Squirrel species vary greatly in size. According to National Geographic, the world's tiniest squirrel, the African pygmy, measures only 5 inches long, in comparison to the giant Indian squirrel measuring about 3 feet long.

    Behavioral Characteristics and Feeding

    • Ground squirrels are social animals that live in colonies and enjoy a diet of leaves, seeds, roots and nuts but also occasionally catch small animals such as insects. Nuts, flowers, berries, acorns, bark, tree sap, bird eggs and chicks make up the diet of tree squirrels, which enjoy a more solitary lifestyle. Flying squirrels tend to be nocturnal and typically eat fruit, nuts and sometimes insects and baby birds. Squirrel species bare litters of two to eight offspring, usually during the Spring, with some producing another litter during Summer. Gestation periods vary between species from around 30 to 60 days.