Get ready to go nuts with knowledge as we scamper through the fascinating world of squirrels! These furry acrobats have more tricks up their sleeves than a magician on a caffeine binge. From their secret stash of snacks to their mind-boggling tree-jumping abilities, we’re here to unveil 20 squirrel facts that will leave you in awe. So grab your binoculars, put on your squirrel detective hat, and let’s embark on a tail-twisting adventure that will make you squirrelly with excitement!
1-5 Interesting Facts About Squirrels
1. Male squirrels have an incredible sense of smell and can detect a female in heat from up to a mile away. Talk about having a nose for romance!
2. In Greek, the word for squirrel translates to “shadow tail.”
3. The mating season for squirrels occurs from February to May, and their gestation period is approximately 44 days. Typically, a litter consists of two to four young.
4. Squirrels are distributed across the globe, with 285 different species found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.
5. Hungry like a squirrel! These little foragers have impressive appetites. They can devour their own body weight in food every week, which is approximately 1.5 pounds.
6-10 Awesome Facts About Squirrels
6. Squirrels possess remarkable acrobatic abilities and can fall from heights as high as 30 meters without sustaining injuries.
7. When jumping or falling, squirrels utilize their tails both for balance and as a parachute, aiding in their safe descent.
8. Squirrels exhibit clever behavior when they sense they are being watched. They may engage in deceptive actions like pretending to bury an object while actually hiding it in their mouths.
9. Squirrels have got their eyes on the back of their heads, almost literally! Their eyes are positioned in a way that allows them to see what’s happening behind them.
10. In 2007, there was a peculiar incident where Iran claimed that 14 squirrels found near their borders were actually spies.
11-15 Shocking Facts About Squirrels
11. On December 10, 1987, a squirrel chewed through power lines, causing an 82-minute shutdown of the Nasdaq stock exchange, which resulted in the inability to trade approximately 20 million shares.
12. Squirrels possess impressive jumping abilities, with the capability to leap distances of up to 20 feet. Their long, muscular hind legs and short front legs work in tandem to facilitate these leaps.
13. Olney, Illinois proudly holds the title of the “White Squirrel Capital of the World.” The squirrels roaming the streets there are treated like royalty, even having the right-of-way in traffic. In fact, there’s a hefty $500 fine for anyone unfortunate enough to accidentally collide with one of these esteemed creatures. Move aside, pedestrians—squirrels are crossing!
14. While squirrels have been recorded running at speeds of 20 miles per hour, their average running speed is typically half that rate.
15. Adult California ground squirrels possess a special protein in their blood that enables them to survive rattlesnake bites.
16-20 Cool Facts About Squirrels
16. Squirrels are the ultimate foster parents! If they come across abandoned squirrel babies, they step in and adopt them as their own.
17. Baby squirrels have a unique behavior where they only urinate and defecate in their mother’s mouth. This allows the mother to dispose of the waste outside the nest, preventing predators from detecting the scent.
18. In the UK, grey squirrels face some serious legal issues. If they are trapped, it is actually illegal to release them back into the wild. Instead, the law states that they should be humanely killed.
19. Squirrels can live up to twenty years when kept in captivity.
20. Here’s an unexpected fact: squirrels have a unique way of protecting themselves against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). They have been observed engaging in self-pleasure to reduce the risk of infections.
That’s it for this post guys, I hope you had fun while reading 20 Scary facts about Squirrels.
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