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Sciurus niger
(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
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.
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.
5 Comments
The earliest known squirrels date from the Eocene and are most closely related to the mountain beaver and to the dormouse among living species.
Thank you for the comment JerryMorrow, updated ID.
Thank you for the comment patty, yes their movements do appear jerky robotic in nature!
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?
video added...