A squirrel is any of the 268 species of rodents in the family Sciuridae. The name comes from the Greek word skiouros , meaning "shade tail," describing a recognizable feature of these small mammals. Squirrels can be found worldwide in almost any environment that has vegetation. The squirrel family includes ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, prairie dogs, and flying squirrels. However, the term "squirrel" most commonly refers to the 122 species of tree squirrels. Tree squirrels have slender bodies, long limbs, furred feet, large eyes, and a bushy tail about as long as their head and body. They also have large, strong, curved claws that allow them to climb trees with ease. Squirrel diets vary depending on the species and habitat. Tree squirrels eat nuts, fruits, seeds, fungi, and insects. Some species may also eat small animals.

How are squirrels different from other rodents?

Squirrels, belonging to the family Sciuridae, are a diverse group of rodents with about 268 species found worldwide. While they share the basic rodent characteristics of ever-growing incisor teeth, squirrels have unique traits. Tree squirrels have slender bodies, muscular limbs, and furred feet, with flexible ankle joints that allow them to descend trees headfirst. Unlike some other rodents, most squirrels are diurnal and arboreal, though some species such as flying squirrels are nocturnal. Squirrel diets vary, with tree squirrels primarily eating nuts and fruits, using their strong jaws to open hard nuts. They also consume seeds, fungi, and insects. Though most rodents can swim, squirrels regularly cross rivers by swimming with their heads up and tails flat on the water’s surface.

Where do squirrels usually live?

Squirrels live in various habitats worldwide, wherever vegetation can be found. Tree squirrels, numbering 122 species across 22 genera, typically build nests, called dreys , among tree branches, in tree hollows, vine tangles, or in undergrowth near the ground. While most tree squirrels are diurnal and arboreal, some, like the Oriental giant squirrels, stay high in the canopy, while others, such as the pygmy squirrel of Sulawesi, travel and forage at ground level. Flying squirrels nest in tree cavities, rock crevices, or build nests high in trees made of leaves and shredded bark.

What do squirrels eat?

Squirrel diets vary based on habitat and species. The bushy-tailed tree squirrel commonly eats fruits and nuts, which they open with strong jaws and chisel-like incisors. They also eat seeds, fungi, and insects, and at times consume nectar, leaves, buds, flowers, tree bark, bird eggs, nestlings, and carrion. Most ground squirrels are omnivorous, eating fruits, green plant parts, and insects like grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars. Some eat small vertebrates, such as chicks, frogs, toads, and carrion. However, the Uinta ground squirrel mainly eats seeds and green plant parts. Tropical ground squirrels consume arthropods, earthworms, and fruits. Shrew-faced ground squirrels eat earthworms and insects, while Sulawesi ground squirrels eat beetle larvae and acorns. Squirrels are prey for foxes, hawks, and owls. They bury nuts, but it is not clear if they forget where they bury them.

How do squirrels store food for later?

Squirrels are known for their food storage habits, particularly for saving nuts for later consumption. Squirrels don't bury nuts randomly; they follow a plan, which comes in one of two forms. Some squirrel species stash their food in one place, which is riskier, while others bury nuts in several spots across a general area. These species have developed a system to help them remember where these stashes are. It seems that squirrels can sort nuts and bury them one at a time, placing nuts of one species near one another while burying nuts of another species a short distance away. While squirrels might forget where they bury some of the nuts they collect, the nuts that they do remember are likely well organized. Squirrels' diets vary based on their species and habitat, but the most common squirrel's diet primarily consists of nuts and fruits.

Why are squirrels important for their environment?

Squirrels play a crucial role in their environment through seed dispersal and pollination. They consume fruits and nuts, aiding seed dispersal by transporting seeds away from parent plants, which reduces competition and expands species ranges. Some squirrels also eat insects and other arthropods. Additionally, they contribute to pollination by inadvertently transferring pollen between flowers as they feed on nectar. These actions support plant diversity and forest regeneration, highlighting the ecological importance of squirrels in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

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Do squirrels forget where they hide their food?

At a Glance

squirrel summary

squirrel

rodent

Also known as: Sciuridae

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Guy Musser

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Top Questions

What is a squirrel?
A squirrel is any of the 268 species of rodents in the family Sciuridae. The name comes from the Greek word skiouros, meaning "shade tail," describing a recognizable feature of these small mammals.

Squirrels can be found worldwide in almost any environment that has vegetation. The squirrel family includes ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, prairie dogs, and flying squirrels. However, the term "squirrel" most commonly refers to the 122 species of tree squirrels.

Tree squirrels have slender bodies, long limbs, furred feet, large eyes, and a bushy tail about as long as their head and body. They also have large, strong, curved claws that allow them to climb trees with ease.

Squirrel diets vary depending on the species and habitat. Tree squirrels eat nuts, fruits, seeds, fungi, and insects. Some species may also eat small animals.
3 Britannica Sources
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How are squirrels different from other rodents?
Squirrels, belonging to the family Sciuridae, are a diverse group of rodents with about 268 species found worldwide. While they share the basic rodent characteristics of ever-growing incisor teeth, squirrels have unique traits. Tree squirrels have slender bodies, muscular limbs, and furred feet, with flexible ankle joints that allow them to descend trees headfirst.

Unlike some other rodents, most squirrels are diurnal and arboreal, though some species such as flying squirrels are nocturnal. Squirrel diets vary, with tree squirrels primarily eating nuts and fruits, using their strong jaws to open hard nuts. They also consume seeds, fungi, and insects. Though most rodents can swim, squirrels regularly cross rivers by swimming with their heads up and tails flat on the water’s surface.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Where do squirrels usually live?
Squirrels live in various habitats worldwide, wherever vegetation can be found. Tree squirrels, numbering 122 species across 22 genera, typically build nests, called dreys, among tree branches, in tree hollows, vine tangles, or in undergrowth near the ground.

While most tree squirrels are diurnal and arboreal, some, like the Oriental giant squirrels, stay high in the canopy, while others, such as the pygmy squirrel of Sulawesi, travel and forage at ground level. Flying squirrels nest in tree cavities, rock crevices, or build nests high in trees made of leaves and shredded bark.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do squirrels eat?
Squirrel diets vary based on habitat and species. The bushy-tailed tree squirrel commonly eats fruits and nuts, which they open with strong jaws and chisel-like incisors. They also eat seeds, fungi, and insects, and at times consume nectar, leaves, buds, flowers, tree bark, bird eggs, nestlings, and carrion.

Most ground squirrels are omnivorous, eating fruits, green plant parts, and insects like grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars. Some eat small vertebrates, such as chicks, frogs, toads, and carrion. However, the Uinta ground squirrel mainly eats seeds and green plant parts.

Tropical ground squirrels consume arthropods, earthworms, and fruits. Shrew-faced ground squirrels eat earthworms and insects, while Sulawesi ground squirrels eat beetle larvae and acorns. Squirrels are prey for foxes, hawks, and owls. They bury nuts, but it is not clear if they forget where they bury them.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do squirrels store food for later?
Squirrels are known for their food storage habits, particularly for saving nuts for later consumption. Squirrels don't bury nuts randomly; they follow a plan, which comes in one of two forms. Some squirrel species stash their food in one place, which is riskier, while others bury nuts in several spots across a general area. These species have developed a system to help them remember where these stashes are. It seems that squirrels can sort nuts and bury them one at a time, placing nuts of one species near one another while burying nuts of another species a short distance away.

While squirrels might forget where they bury some of the nuts they collect, the nuts that they do remember are likely well organized. Squirrels' diets vary based on their species and habitat, but the most common squirrel's diet primarily consists of nuts and fruits.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Is It True That Squirrels Forget Where They Bury About Half of Their Food?
2. What Do Squirrels Eat?
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why are squirrels important for their environment?
Squirrels play a crucial role in their environment through seed dispersal and pollination. They consume fruits and nuts, aiding seed dispersal by transporting seeds away from parent plants, which reduces competition and expands species ranges. Some squirrels also eat insects and other arthropods. Additionally, they contribute to pollination by inadvertently transferring pollen between flowers as they feed on nectar. These actions support plant diversity and forest regeneration, highlighting the ecological importance of squirrels in maintaining healthy ecosystems.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

squirrel, (family Sciuridae), generally, any of the 50 genera and 268 species of rodents whose common name is derived from the Greek skiouros, meaning “shade tail,” which describes one of the most conspicuous and recognizable features of these small mammals. These distinctive animals occupy a range of ecological niches worldwide virtually anywhere there is vegetation. The squirrel family includes ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, prairie dogs, and flying squirrels, but to most people squirrel refers to the 122 species of tree squirrels, which belong to 22 genera of the subfamily Sciurinae. The North American gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) has adapted to urban and suburban areas where it is regarded as aesthetic or as a minor annoyance. In northern Europe the red squirrel (S. vulgaris) is valued for its soft, thick fur. Villagers in tropical forests keep squirrels as pets. Most species are hunted for food.

General features

Tree squirrels have slender, lanky bodies, long, muscular limbs, and furred feet. The forefeet have four long digits plus a short, stubby thumb, and the five-toed hind feet are narrow or moderately wide. The bald soles of the feet take the form of prominent, fleshy pads. Because the ankle joints are flexible and can be rotated, squirrels can rapidly descend trees headfirst with the hind feet splayed flat against the trunk. Their large, bright eyes convey an alert demeanour, and the broad, short head tapers to a blunt muzzle adorned with long whiskers. The rounded ears, small in relation to body size, are densely covered with short, fine hairs, which form a long tuft at the tips of the ears in some species. The tail is about as long as head and body or appreciably longer. Furred from base to tip, the tail appears bushy and cylindrical when the hairs grow evenly around the tail; the tail appears flatter if the fur originates only from opposite sides. Claws are large, strong, curved, and very sharp, which enables tree squirrels to navigate vertical surfaces and slim branches.

Variation in body size is considerable. Largest are the four species of Oriental giant squirrels (genus Ratufa) native to the tropical forests of Southeast Asia. Weighing 1.5 to 3 kg (3 to almost 7 pounds), it has a body length of 25 to 46 cm (about 10 to 18 inches) and a tail about as long. Two species of pygmy squirrels are the smallest: the neotropical pygmy squirrel (Sciurillus pusillus) of the Amazon Basin weighs 33 to 45 grams (1 to 1.5 ounces), with a body 9 to 12 cm long and an equally long tail; but the African pygmy squirrel (Myosciurus pumilio) of the West African tropical forests is even smaller, at 13 to 20 grams, with a body length of 6 to 8 cm and a somewhat shorter tail.

Squirrels’ soft, dense fur is moderately long in most species but can be very long and almost shaggy in some. Colour is extraordinarily variable. Some species are plain, covered in one or two solid shades of brown or gray. A few species are striped along the sides and back; sometimes the head is also striped. Tropical species exhibit combinations of white, gray, yellow, orange, red, maroon, brown, and black, yielding a variety of complex coat patterns.

Natural history

All tree squirrels are diurnal and arboreal, but the range of vertical activity in species differs widely, especially among those living in tropical rainforests. Some, such as the Oriental giant squirrels (genus Ratufa) and the African giant squirrels (genus Protoxerus), rarely descend from the high canopy. Others, like the pygmy squirrel of Sulawesi (Prosciurillus murinus), travel and forage at intermediate levels between ground and canopy. Some large tropical squirrels, such as the Sulawesi giant squirrel (Rubrisciurus rubriventer) and the northern Amazon red squirrel (Sciurus igniventris), nest at middle levels but travel and forage low in the understory or on the ground. The African palm squirrels (genus Epixerus) are long-legged runners that forage only on the ground. Certain species, such as the red-tailed squirrel (S. granatensis) of the American tropics and the African pygmy squirrel, are active from ground to canopy. In the United States, the Eastern fox squirrel (S. niger) runs along the ground from tree to tree, but others, including the Eastern gray squirrel (S. carolinensis), prefer to travel through the treetops and regularly cross rivers by swimming with the head up and tail flat on the water’s surface. Thomas’s rope squirrel (Funisciurus anerythrus) of Africa even submerges itself and swims underwater.

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

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Most tree squirrels have strong chisel-like incisors and powerful jaws, which are required for gnawing open the hard nuts that, along with fruits, are a primary component of their diet. They also eat seeds, fungi, insects and other arthropods, the cambium layer of tree bark, nectar, leaves, buds, flowers, and sometimes bird eggs, nestlings, and carrion. Some red squirrels (genus Tamiasciurus) and Sciurus species of temperate climates will stalk, kill, and eat other squirrels, mice, and adult birds and rabbits for food, but such predation in tropical tree squirrels seems rare.

Nests are constructed among branches in the forest canopy or at lower levels in tree crowns, vine tangles, tree hollows, or undergrowth near the ground. Some species of tropical tree squirrels produce several litters per year; breeding season in the Northern Hemisphere may extend from December to September and may result in one or two litters that average three to seven young, depending upon the species.

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In the New World, tree squirrels range from the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska southward through coniferous and deciduous woodlands in the United States to the tropical rainforests of South America. In Africa, tree squirrels are native to rainforests and some woodland savannas. Their distribution in the remainder of the Old World extends from the northern boreal forests of Europe and Asia to the Indonesian tropical rainforests. East of the Asian continental margin, tree squirrels inhabit the forests of Taiwan, some islands in the Philippines, and Sulawesi, but they do not occur naturally anywhere east of those islands. Most of the species in 20 of the 22 genera are found in tropical rainforests.

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Natural history