• Characteristics of the squirrel
• Habits of the squirrel
• Curiosities about the squirrel

Characteristics of the squirrel

The squirrel ( Sciurus vulgaris ) is a small mammal commonly found in coniferous and deciduous forests in Europe, Asia and America. The small rodent has a slender and thin body that can reach 25 centimeters in length for about 350 grams of weight and is characterized by a showy tail that is 15 and up to 20 centimeters long.

Despite their small size, thanks to their strong musculature and sturdy claws, squirrels are able to climb the trunk of trees and jump between branches with agility.

The color of the hair varies from species to species: in nature we can in fact find the red squirrel, the black squirrel and the gray squirrel. The coat of the European common squirrel or red squirrel – present in all our woods – is generally brown on the back, with reddish and black shades on the tail, ears and sides of the body and white on the belly.

The black squirrel ( Sciurus meridionalis ), a species that lives in Calabria and in some areas of Basilicata, has a raven hair all over the body except on the white belly, as well as being larger and heavier than the red squirrel.

Finally, the gray squirrel ( Sciuris carolinensis ), as deduced from the common name, has a predominantly gray coat, streaked with brown and white. The gray squirrel is a species native to America that was released into the European woodlands early last after being imported as a pet. Since then it has competed with native European species and, being an invasive species, it has spread rapidly, so much so that today it is also possible to meet it in urban parks and public gardens. The average life span of these animals in nature is approximately  8 years .
 

Habits of the squirrel

Squirrels are wild animals that inhabit woods, parks and gardens, ideal habitats for these small rodents. In fact, squirrels spend most of their time in the trees, not only because of their shy and solitary nature, but above all to escape any predators.

Trees provide most of the food resources for squirrels. Although they are omnivorous animals, in fact, squirrels are greedy for seeds, berries, nuts, nuts and acorns. If it does not find its favorite foods, the squirrel eats buds, young leaves, flowers, bark, lichens without disdaining insects and bird eggs that it can find on trees or mushrooms and truffles that it finds on the ground.

The trees then represent a perfect and safe place for the squirrel to nest : squirrels build their nest between the bifurcations of the branches or near the trunk or inside tree cavities, using intertwined twigs. The nest , spherical and with a diameter of about 30 centimeters, is isolated externally with dry leaves and made more comfortable inside with moss.

Squirrel mating season runs from May to June. Squirrels are not territorial animals but, during the reproductive period, females prevent other females from entering their territory.

The birth takes place after a gestation of a month and a half and the young are suckled for about three months, after which they move away from the mother to look for new territories.

Normally each female gives birth twice a year, but if food resources are scarce, they reproduce only once or do not reproduce at all.

Already in optimal conditions, only 20-40% of the newborns survive one year after birth and the percentage is reduced in the presence of the gray squirrel, which competes with native species for resources.

Squirrels are diurnal animals, active from sunrise to sunset, in all seasons of the year. In fact, the squirrel does not hibernate and remains in the nest during the night: this is why it is very easy to meet a squirrel during an excursion.

Curiosities about the squirrel

During the fall, squirrels stock up and gather food to cope with the winter months . To conserve food, which includes numerous seeds, they hide it under the ground, from where they then retrieve it for food.

However, many seeds are not consumed and, being buried, they will germinate in spring. This behavior of the squirrels therefore contributes to the spread of numerous tree species , especially those that produce heavy seeds, which thanks to the squirrels are transported away from the mother plant and give rise to a new specimen.

The same thing happens when squirrels feed on mushrooms , as they spread the spores allowing the species to spread. Squirrels therefore play a fundamental role in the renewal of the woods to which they are closely linked.