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Fox Squirrel

Sciurus niger

Description:

(video)...Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, flying squirrels, and prairie dogs

Habitat:

Squirrels breed once or twice a year and give birth to a varying number of young after three to six weeks, depending on species. The young are born naked, toothless, and blind. In most species of squirrel, only the female looks after the young, which are weaned at around six to ten weeks of age and become sexually mature at the end of their first year. Ground-dwelling species are generally social animals, often living in well-developed colonies, but the tree-dwelling species are more solitary. Ground and tree squirrels are typically diurnal or crepuscular, while flying squirrels tend to be nocturnal—except for lactating flying squirrels and their offspring, which have a period of diurnality during the summer.

Notes:

Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa, and have been introduced to Australia. The earliest known squirrels date from the Eocene and are most closely related to the mountain beaver and to the dormouse among living species.

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5 Comments

FrancisQuintana
FrancisQuintana 11 years ago

The earliest known squirrels date from the Eocene and are most closely related to the mountain beaver and to the dormouse among living species.

FrancisQuintana
FrancisQuintana 11 years ago

Thank you for the comment JerryMorrow, updated ID.

FrancisQuintana
FrancisQuintana 11 years ago

Thank you for the comment patty, yes their movements do appear jerky robotic in nature!

patty
patty 11 years ago

Beautiful squirrel Francis! Nice picture and video too, I love the way in which squirrels move is sort of like in short and sudden movements, don´t you think?

FrancisQuintana
FrancisQuintana 11 years ago

video added...

FrancisQuintana
Spotted by
FrancisQuintana

Littleton, Colorado, USA

Spotted on Oct 11, 2012
Submitted on Nov 3, 2012

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