There are some rodents that people enjoy seeing. Many rodents are even popular pets in many family homes. Gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, rats and chinchillas are all frequently welcomed with open arms into homes. Other rodents are not great pets but we love seeing them in nature. Squirrels are one of the rodents that are an example of this. They are cute little animals that scurry around playfully when you are out in nature. But what do you really know about squirrels? A Five Star Termite & Pest Control wants to help you learn more about these cute little rodents.
Facts & Information About Squirrels
• The word squirrel means shadow tail in Greek.
• Squirrels do not hibernate for the winter. Therefore, they have to gather and store nuts and acorns for the winter. In the winter squirrels live off of the nuts and acorns that they have stored. They can find food that is buried underneath up to a foot of snow. They will dig a tunnel to get to the food once they locate by following their scent.
• There are more than 200 squirrel species worldwide. They live on every continent except Australia and Antarctica.
• Contrary to popular belief flying squirrels do not really fly. Flying squirrels just use flaps of skin between their limbs to glide from tree to tree.
• A squirrel’s front teeth never stop growing. In order to prevent their teeth from getting too long they have to gnaw to keep them at a manageable length. In Latin rodent means to gnaw.
• Squirrels range in size length from five inches to three feet.
• Squirrels have the ability to run up and down trees very quickly. They are able to do this because their hind legs are actually double-jointed.
• Male squirrels can smell a female squirrel in heat from up to a mile away. Their mating season is from February to May. They have a 44-day gestation period. Typically they will have two to four squirrels per litter.
• Adult tree squirrels typically live alone. When it is extremely cold they sometimes will nest in groups. A group of squirrels is called a scurry or dray.
• In July 1856 crowds would gather in New York’s Central Park just to try and see a gray squirrel. Many cities in the United States added more parks and trees in the mid-19th century to encourage the squirrel population to grow. By the mid-1880s Central Park was home to about 1,500 gray squirrels.
• Gray squirrels eat insects, snails, bird eggs, and animal carcasses. Tree squirrels mostly eat nuts, seeds, and fruit. In order to survive adult squirrels need about one pound of food per week.
• Humans can and will eat squirrels. They frequently used to be served in Kentucky burgoo and Brunswick stew. Snakes, coyotes, hawks, and owls will also eat squirrels.
• Squirrels can jump up to 20 feet. This allows them to navigate different obstacles as they look for food. They will leap in the air to get from place to place.
• They can run up to 20 miles per hour but typically run about 10 miles per hour.
Squirrel Pest Inspections, Control & More in Canyon Lake, Spring Branch, Bulverde, Timberwood Park, Leon Valley, Alamo Heights, New Braunfels, Selma, Live Oak, Converse, Universal City, Cibolo, Seguin, New Berlin, St Hedwig, Adkins, La Vernia, Elmendorf, Losoya, Von Ormy, Macdona & San Antonio, Texas
We are willing to bet that you learned some new information today about squirrels. What we haven’t discussed yet is what to do if they have infested your property. If squirrels have become a problem on your property give A Five Star Termite & Pest Control a call today. We can help you by humanely getting rid of the squirrels on your property.
