Faradinda R H: Oktober 2016

Squirrels are a family of rodents that includes marmots and chipmunks. Their Kingdom is Animalia. Their Phylum is Chordata, Their class is Mammalia. Their order is Rodentia and their family is Sciuridae. Most squirrels are omnivores they eat anything they find. Many kinds of squirrels live in trees, so they often find nuts. Despite living in trees squirrels are considered flightless because they can only jump short distances.

There are over 265 species of squirrel worldwide. The smallest is the African pygmy squirrel which is tiny at around 10 cm long, whereas the largest, the Indian giant squirrel is a massive three feet long.

The squirrel is the Native American symbol for preparation, trust and thriftiness.

Squirrels eat nuts. Beside that, squirrels eat seeds, berries and pine cones too. Sometimes they eat bird's eggs and insects. Most tree squirrels store food in the fall, to eat in the winter.

Ground squirrels do not store food. They hibernate which means they spend winter in a deep sleep. They get bulky to stay warm during the winter. They putting on some extra weight so they will stay warm in the winter.

Food is important during the cold winter months for squirrels. It makes sense, therefore, that some species are able to smell food under a foot of snow. The squirrel will then dig a tunnel under the snow, following the scent to their (or another squirrel’s) buried treasure.

Scatter hoarders a spesies of squirrels with multiple caches of food have a difficult time keeping an eye on all of their hidden food. Fellow squirrels or birds often take advantage of this for a free meal. They may lose their "buried treasure" about 25%.

Squirrels are acrobatic, intellegen and adaptable.If you’re not convinced, try to hang a bird feeder without these bandits giving you a challenge.

The most common European squirrels are red or brown in color, while common American squirrels are grey or black. Grey squirrels have been introduced into Europe (most notably, Great Britain), where they cause problems to the red squirrel's population. Red squirrels are protected in most of Europe. Squirrels have many predators or enemies. Foxes, raccoons, hawks and owls eat squirrels.

Life cycle

Squirrels breed in February and March in winter, and in June and July in summer. Females may become pregnant up to twice a year. Usually 4-6 young are born, after a gestation period (pregnancy) of around 39 days. Only the mother looks after the young, which are born completely helpless. Squirrels build nests of twigs and leaves, which can have a diameter of up to 30cm. This is where the young squirrels are born. Young squirrels are deaf and blind during the first few weeks of their life. Most squirrels die in the first year of life. Adult squirrels can have a lifespan of 5 to 10 years in the wild. Some can survive 10 to 20 years in captivity.

Question Time!!!

Answer the questions bellow! Count your points :)

1. How many squirrel will born from one females squirre in a year ?

a.4

b.4-9

c. 8-18

d.9

e.4-18

2. What will squirrels do if there were buried food in winter?

a. smell food under a foot of snow

b. dig a tunnel under the snow

c. dig the foods

d. store the foods

e. keeping an eye on all the foods.

3. Why Scatter Hoarders can lose about 25% of their foods?

a. Because they have too many foods

b. Because another squirrel found it

c. Because there were too many thieves

d. Because they can't keeping on all the foods they have.

e. Because they are too busy to hibernate

4. What does the squirrels do to avoid getting cold in the winter?

a. eats many foods before winter comes

b. hibernates

c. eats their stored foods

d. stay in the tree

e. Seeking some foods

5. "Most young squirrel die in the first year of life"

How about the squirrels that can survive that?

a. deaf and blind

b. nobody will survive

c. dying

d.have a 5-10 year life span

e.have a 10-20 year life span

TheAnswers :

1. C ("Females may become pregnant up to twice a year. Usually 4-6 young are born"/ paragraph 7/2nd and 3rd sentences)

2. B ("The squirrel will then dig a tunnel under the snow"/ paragraph 4 ,3rd sentence)

3. D ("Scatter hoarders a spesies of squirrels with multiple caches of food have a difficult time keeping an eye on all of their hidden food"/ Paragraph 4,4th sentence"

4. A ("They putting on some extra weight so they will stay warm in the winter." Paragraph 3,last sentene)

5. D ("Adult squirrels can have a lifespan of 5 to 10 years in the wild"/last paragraph, 8th sentence)

All the love x

Source:

Wikipedia

One Kind

National wildlife Federation's Blog

Facts.net