Today is Squirrel Appreciation Day! A celebration of the approximately 280 different species of squirrels, found in every corner of the world except Antarctica and Australia! Yet despite this fact, dogs know very little about their distracting neighbors, and occasional nemesis. So on their special day, here are some fun facts about squirrels!
Did you know that a group of squirrels is called a “scurry”? But if you are referring to a momma squirrel and her babies in their nest, that’s called a “dray.” Dray is also the technical term for a squirrel nest. Oh and since we are getting technical, baby squirrels are commonly called kits/kittens. But despite Angel Chuck Billy’s accusations, neither cats nor squirrels come from outer space! Ok, so technically the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) did include squirrels on their list of the 100 worst invasive alien species, but they were just referring to the Gray Squirrel. And not everyone is opposed to welcoming the Gray Squirrel! They did try to introduce Gray Squirrels in Australia, but they eventually went extinct due to predators. And before I forget, spoiler alert, Flying Squirrels don’t actually fly. They use the flap of skin between their arms and legs like a parachute to glide.
Squirrels may not be able to fly, but they do have amazing superpowers! Their long, muscular hind legs and short front legs work together to aid in leaping. In fact, they can easily leap 8 to 10 feet horizontally between trees or structures, and jump 5 feet or more vertically! And when it comes to squirrelly situations, they have been known to reach speeds of 20 miles per hour (mph) to escape predators, but prefer a more leisurely pace of 10-12 mph. And dogs, don’t feel bad that try as you might, they are difficult to catch. Not only are squirrels fast, they are incredibly agile and smart too. They purposely run in a zig-zag pattern to avoid capture from predators and hugs.
Speaking of hugs, I better scurry along before this Scurry notices I crashed their Squirrel Appreciation Day celebration!
