SQUIRRELS
Mammal     -     Vertebrate     -     Herbivore   -   Omnivore - (Flying Squirrel)

GREY SQUIRREL

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Male:  Buck

Female:  Doe

Young:  Pup, Kit, Kitten

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SQUIRRELS
There are 365 species of squirrel.   
They can be found on every continent except Antartica and Australia.
There are 50 species of flying squirrels.

• ​​Nests are called 'dreys'.
• Eat nuts, fruit and seeds.
• Are rodents.
• Grey squirrels are called 'living fossils' as they haven't changed much in 37 million years.
• Their teeth never stop growing.
• Are born blind.
• Cannot burp or vomit.
• Have no colour vision - they see only in black and white.
• Their eyes are positioned so that they can see behind them.
• Can generally remember the hiding places of up to 10,000 nuts, yet ...
• Millions of trees are accidentally planted by squirrels who have buried their nuts and forgotten where they hid them.
• They kiss to identify each other.
• Are immune to rabies.
• Live about 9 years.
• Hind legs are double-jointed, which allows them to run up and down trees very quickly.
• Can climb trees faster than they can run on the ground.
• Use their tails both for balance and as a parachute.
• Can jumps a distance of up to 20 feet.  
• Can run at speeds of up to 20 miles an hour.  
• Will adopt other squirrel's babies if they are abandoned.
• In 2007, Iran claimed 14 squirrels found near the nation's border, were actually spies!
• Memorise their siblings by their sent.  

Chipmunks

• Are small squirrels with stripes.
• Have cheek pouches to help them carry food.

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​Flying Squirrels

• Flying squirrels glide between trees.  Once they land, they climb back up a tree to continue their flight.
• Eat nuts and acorns, bark, sap, seeds, flowers, berries, fruit lichen, slugs, snails, young mice, insects, birds' eggs and baby birds.
• Main predators are raccoons, foxes, owls, coyotes, snakes, birds, cats and dogs.
• Live about 6 years in the wild and 10-15 years in captivity.

Groundhog or Woodchuck . visit Symbolism / American Groundhog Day

• Are members of the squirrel family.
• Are herbivores
• Live a feast or famine lifestyle - gorging themselves all summer to build up their fat reserves.
• Hibernate in the Spring ​

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Visit:  Squirrels / Groundhog. COLLECTIVE NOUNS, SIMILE, IDIOMS, METAPHORS AND EXPRESSIONS

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FLYING SQUIRREL

RED SQUIRREL

GROUNDHOG

ALBINO GREY SQUIRREL