Rodents for Writers: Squirrels

Rodents for writers: squirrels. The final part of the series on common rodents, to help writers better understand them. This time we’re covering the other major class of rodents, the squirrel family of rodents.

This family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (chipmunks and prairie dogs) and flying squirrels. The focus of this article is the most common tree squirrels. The eastern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and the Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris).

Biology

Squirrels eat tree bark, buds, flowers, berries, seeds, acorns, nuts, fungi and truffles as the main part of their diet. They will forage from garden crops like wheat, tomatoes, corn and strawberries and eat insects, frogs, small rodents, small birds and eggs, making them omnivores.

In urban areas they will raid bins and trash cans and steal food from bird feeders in people’s gardens. They stash excess food away in the ground or inside trees for later. These stashes are known as ‘middens’, although they sometimes lose track of them.

Since they are rodents, their incisors are open-rooted and grow continuously, while their molars do not. Squirrels have sharp claws to grip tree bark and climb, gray squirrels can even turn their hind feet in order to climb down a tree head first. Unlike most other climbing animals, who are incapable of doing this.

Their long fluffy tails help them with balance and steering when climbing and running, as well as being adorable. Squirrels build nests in trees or take over abandoned bird nests, which they then line with moss, dry grass and feathers for warmth.

Interestingly, in warm weather, squirrels exhibit a behaviour, they ‘sploot’ or lie flat on the ground with their limbs spread out. Apparently, this helps them lose heat.

Invasive Species and Conservation

Gray squirrels were introduced to the UK in the 1870s from North America. They quickly established themselves across England, Wales and southern Scotland. Unfortunately, they displaced the native red squirrels by taking over habitats, competing for food sources and transmitting squirrel pox. The squirrel pox virus is often fatal to the red squirrels, however, it doesn’t harm the gray squirrels.

Because of this, conservation programs were implemented to protect the native red squirrels and the population has stabilised in Scotland and on the Isle of Wight.

Culture, Mythology and Folklore

In Norse mythology, a red squirrel plays an important role. Ratatoskr runs up and down the world-tree Yggdrasil, bringing messages between the hawk at the top of the tree and the dragon at the roots.

Beatrix Potter’s children’s literature features many UK native wildlife species. Squirrel Nutkin the red squirrel features in her works. Denmark’s national mammal is the red squirrel.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this series. Stay tuned for next months themes, I’m excited to bring you more useful content in April. I’m also participating in a new writing challenge, ZAPWHAMPOW. For updates, follow my socials.

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