These little furry critters may be your friend or your foe, but after reading these fascinating facts about squirrels, you will have to admit they are very interesting!
1. Did you know that there are more than 365 species of squirrels in the world?
2. 40% of all the mammals in the world are in the squirrel family.
3. The smallest squirrel is the African Pygmy. They are 5 inches long from their heads to the tip of their tails. They are found in Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon.
4. The largest squirrel is the Ratufa. It can be as long as 3 feet in length. This beauty is found in Asia and Nepal.
5. Squirrels have been known to live as long as 20 years in captivity. Our Common Gray squirrel lives an average of 5 years in the wild, if they are lucky enough to survive their first year.
6. The squirrel has a brain about the size of a walnut.
7. Squirrels can run as fast as 20 miles per hour.
8. The oldest known squirrel skeleton is over 50 million years old.
9. Lafayette Park in Washington, DC has the largest concentration of squirrels in the United States.
10. President Ronald Reagan loved the squirrels at the White House so much that he commissioned an artist to paint a squirrel running across the White House lawn for the Presidential Christmas Card.
11. If a squirrel's nest is high in a tree, it is called a drey. A squirrel's nest in a hollow tree is called a den.
As you can see, these little creatures have been a part of our world for a long time and being the adaptable animals they are, will surely survive well into the future. So, we must learn to live with them, laugh at them and love them for what they are!
No comments:
Post a Comment