How do squirrels use their tails while moving through trees?

Arboreal squirrels utilize their tails primarily for balance and as a rudder when leaping between branches. By acting as a stabilizing mechanism, the tail allows these rodents to maintain agility and control while navigating the complex environment of the trees.1

In the case of flying squirrels, the tail serves an additional, specialized function during locomotion. When these animals glide, they manipulate their tails—along with their gliding membranes—to control their trajectory through the air, ensuring they land deftly on their target. While some mammals possess prehensile tails that function as a fifth limb, squirrels generally rely on their tails for these essential balancing and steering maneuvers rather than for grasping.231