Squirrels are familiar to almost everyone and there are more than 280 squirrel species that live all over the world, except Australia and Antarctica. They aren’t shy about coming out during the day which makes them one of the rarest wild animals you will see. Squirrels belong to the family of small to medium sized rodents. Like all rodents, squirrels have four front teeth that are constantly growing which is why they don’t wear down from the constant gnawing. There are three groups of squirrels found in the United States; the tree squirrel, ground squirrel and flying squirrel. Tree squirrels are the ones we most often see scampering through the air from tree to tree. They are great little climbers and they eat nuts, acorns, berries, flowers and tree sap. Ground squirrels live in burrows or tunnel systems, where some hibernate during the winter season. They eat nuts, leaves, roots, seeds, plants and insects. Flying squirrels live like birds do, in nests or holes in trees. They do not fly but can move across the sky very quickly. They glide by extending their arms and legs with the flaps of skin that connect limbs to their body providing a wing like surface with leaps that can exceed 150 feet. They eat nuts and fruit insects and even baby birds.

Fun Squirrel Facts

1. In Greek, the word ‘squirrel’ means ‘shadow tail’.
2. Newborn squirrels are about an inch long.
3. They get fat to stay warm in the winter.
4. They eat their own body weight every week which is about 1.5 pounds.
5. They can lose 25% of their buried food to thieves and that’s just from their own species.
6. Squirrels will use deceptive caching techniques to throw off potential thieves by digging a hole without putting anything in it.
7. They will zigzag to get away from predators. This is a useful way to escape hawks and other predators.
8. They have superb vision with eyes positioned in a way that allows them to see behind them.
9. They can leap 10 times their body length and turn their ankles 180 degrees to face any direction when climbing.
10. When jumping or falling they will use their tail for balance and as a parachute.
11. Squirrels can fall from 30 meters high without hurting themselves.
12. They have been proven to reach speeds as fast as 20 miles per hour!

Squirrel & Other Chainsaw Carvings in Las Vegas, Nevada & Helena, Montana

Squirrels are acrobatic, intelligent and adaptable which makes them a lot of fun to watch. All you need to do is place a bird feeder in your yard for hours of entertainment! Another reason to like these animals is they’re a big reason we have so many trees around because they don’t dig up all the nuts they store every year. Carve Me A Bear! Chainsaw Carvings can give you a wood carving in the form of a squirrel and lots of other creatures. Give us a call to get more information.